If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Takeo:Be careful of what you decide in your reply. I never said what that Pokeball contained (even if it was pretty obvious) and deciding that it held your Frillish could be considered self-updating. I’ll let it slide this time, but watch what you write in the future.

“Is that so?” it says, eyes brightening even further at the emotions you were emitting. Its countenance takes on a menacing edge as your Frillish materializes in a flash of light, immediately beginning to emit a blue glow. The Banette’s outline glows blue after a moment and it gets thrown into the wall by your Frillish’s Psychic, bouncing off it and landing on the floor, its grin never wavering even as your Frillish begins charging her Shadow Ball. A few seconds later, she tosses the shadowy blob at the other Pokemon, throwing up a cloud of dust as the attack hits.

The two of you hear nothing from that direction and the dust cloud prevents you from seeing where the Banette had gone. Then, you catch a Faint shadow rise up next to your Frillish, but, before you can call out a warning, the Banette Attacks and jumps away, seamlessly sending out its Shadow to Sneak under Narcissa and strike her from below. It stops several feet away and tilts its head to the side, observing the pair of you as the dust begins to clear.

The malicious grin directs itself at you again, as it speaks: “With this little Frillish?” It floats lazily in place, chuckling. “Knock yourself out.” It darts forward, looking to Sucker Punch Narcissa, but your ghostly jellyfish lets loose a Sludge Bomb, forcing the other ghost to break off its attack.

What will you do?

“Is that so?” it said, its eyes brightened even further at the emotions Hallow was emitting.
It's countenance took on a menacing edge as Hallow's ghost materialized in a flash of light, immediately beginning to emit a blue glow.
"lets go!," he yelled,
The Banette’s outline glowed blue, and after a moment the puppet got smacked against the wall by Narcissa’s Psychic, the puppet bounced off and landed on the floor, its grin never wavering even as Narcissa began charging her Shadow Ball,
tossing the shadowy blob at the other Pokemon, and throwing up a cloud of dust as the attack hit.

The two of them heard nothing for a while from that direction after the impact,
"It hit, I'm sure of it," He said a bit unsure,
Suddenly a Faint shadow rose up next to Narcissa, but, before Hallow could yell out a warning,
"Narcissa!,"
the Banette Attacked and jumped away, seamlessly sending out its Shadow to Sneak under Narcissa and striking her from below.
"Frill...,"
The Banette stopped several feet away, tilting its head to the side, observing the pair of them as the dust began to clear.
"Narcissa are you ok?," he asked his pokemon,
"Frill," she said after taking a moment to compose herself,
The malicious grin directed itself at him again, as it spook: “With this little Frillish?” It floated lazily in place, chuckling. “Knock yourself out.”
It was mocking him, and Hallow was getting more angry,

It darted forward, looking to Sucker Punch Narcissa, but his ghostly jellyfish let loose a Sludge Bomb, forcing the other ghost to break off its attack.
Hallow laughed, psychologically it seemed that this place had gotten to him much worse then one would of thought,
"Awww," in a child like voice, "Scared of a little poison, are you?"
his laugh a bit maniacal,
"Narcissa use Surf to push Banette back, then use your hottest Scald, and let loose another Shadow Ball,"

Thrain: Even after wandering around the deserted park for hours and getting lost frequently, you are still determined to find the Fortune Teller’s Tent and have your fortune told. As you hit another dead-end, you find your thoughts drifting back to the rumors that you’d heard about the park and you admit that the area you now found yourself in is creepy, though at least you haven’t encountered anything particularly supernatural yet. You pass an intersection and do a double-take at the sight of the tent you had been looking for all day; the only problem: you could have sworn the last time you passed by, there had been nothing there. A chill races over you, but you fight down the feeling and call Blaze to you, pushing aside the cloth door when he comes.

“Hello there, dear.” A warm voice greets you and your gaze is immediately drawn to the lady sitting behind the table. She looks young, much younger than you expected, and she smiles at you, motioning for you to take a seat. “So, you’re the one who’s been wandering around looking for me all day. Did you want me to tell your fortune? You must have been very determined.” You feel another chill at her words; how had she known you’d spent hours searching for her, let alone what you wanted? You glance around the tent uncomfortably, but there’s nothing really interesting that catches your attention. “Don’t be shy, dear. I don’t bite.” You turn back to the fortune teller when she speaks and she smiles again. This time, you can’t help feeling as though something dark lurks behind that smile.

Pushing aside the cloth door, Eric stepped into the mysterious Fortune Teller's tent, nervously anticipating what lay ahead of him. The dingy sides of the structure were bare, but a pattern of swirly lines and colors were painted onto them that made Eric slightly dizzy. Flames from a nearby lantern cast everything into a dim, wavering light, throwing strange and misshapen shadows onto the walls. A wooden table crowned the back of the tent, behind which a young lady sat. Jet-black curls lined the youthful woman's heart-shaped face, as dark as night itself. Her pale skin appeared radiant as it contrasted sharply with her inky hair. Eyes of an intense shade of blue looked on as Eric took a hesitant step forward, Blaze trailing closely behind. A smile grew upon the fortune teller's face, revealing two rows of perfectly straight, pearly white teeth. "Hello there, dear," she said, motioning towards a chair on the opposite side of the table. "So, you’re the one who’s been wandering around looking for me all day. Did you want me to tell your fortune? You must have been very determined."

At these words, Eric flinched inwardly. How could she have known this? Forcing his feet to move towards the table in spite of the icy energy racing through his body, Eric nodded. "Yes, that would be me," he responded. "I'm Eric, and it's true that I've been looking for you all day. I was just interested in getting my fortune told, and I thought you would be the person to come to. Little did I know this place would be quite difficult to find." Eric laughed quietly, trying to diffuse the tension building inside of him. He gripped the chair in front of him, not sure whether he should sit or not. Something just seemed a little "off."

"Don't be shy, dear. I don't bite," the fortune teller said, noticing Eric's hesitance. Nodding, Eric sat down into the rickety, high-backed chair. Blaze hopped up into his lap, eager to see what was about to occur...

takkupanda- Having encountered the first obstacle in their quest, Broly suggests a solution to the problem that any pyromaniac would love; burning the bushes down would certainly clear their path in a hurry! That said, Marcelo is concerned about the possibility of having to deal with the fire burning out of control, and the last thing the pair wants to deal with is attempting to put something like that out. Of course, this left their only other viable option, which was to follow the path covered in large, ominous-looking footprints. Broly seems quite concerned at Marcelo's decision, and lets out a despondent yowl, likely indicating that he recognized those tracks to be big trouble. The big claws and padded feet of the footprints suggested something big, and very likely mean... Even so, Marcelo is quick to encourage Broly, saying that nothing could happen to them if the two remained together. Perhaps not entirely true, but it seems to be enough for Broly, who wags his tail and barks in agreement.

As the two take to the path, Broly examines the footprints with his powerful puppy nose. Though the sight of these footprints had initially made Broly quite uneasy, whatever he seems to be smelling seems to intrigue him, as he navigates the path rather quickly, following his nose to the source of the scent. As Marcelo follows Broly, the narrow path between the bushes yields to the wide-open fairground, which includes the berry bushes that line the Merry-Go-Round. Much to Marcelo's disappointment, these bushes seem as bare as the ones near the Mantine Mania station. How will Marcelo complete his quest now? This problem does not seem to be much of a concern to Broly at the moment, who excitedly follows the footprints. He is drawn right to a rather large, brilliant red Aspear Berry bush, which appears to have been picked clean save for a few small, barely-ripe berries. As Broly sniffs his way behind the bush, looking rather unintimidated by the large prints, he barks loudly and happily, in order to indicate to Marcelo that he has found something interesting.

Marcelo turns the corner to check out what's going on, and sees that Broly's bark has startled a young-looking Wurmple, whose body is covered in dirt. Beneath the Wurmple is a half-finished pawprint with evidence of digmarks, which appears to be leading inside of its cozy little nest full of various types of berries. This Wurmple looks to be only a baby, but it seems as if the creature is rather clever for its age... Upset that its plan to intimidate would-be berry thieves did not account for Pokemon with a strong sense of smell, the angry bug-type glares at Broly; the creature may be at a severe disadvantage, but it is certainly not about to back down, even against a Growlithe! The creature makes its intentions clear by firing off a Poison Sting, which the quick-thinking Growlithe barely dodges! This little one means business.

How will Broly and Marcelo respond?

Broly's keen olfactory sense looked like the one to rely on for the moment and Marcelo let him lead the way along the path. Though he was initially intimidated by the large footprints, carefully sniffing them seemed to have aroused Broly's curiosity as he fervidly sniffed all the way as they walked and Broly gained speed as the smell perhaps grew stronger. They were soon led into an open fairground with several berry bushes lining the Merry-Go-Round which was now visible from there. However, to their dismay, the berry bushes had been picked clean, leaving not a single ripe berry on them. But Marcelo had somehow expected that since he believed this quest wouldn't have been all that easy and straightforward and he was somewhat skeptical about the calmness of the place.

In the meanwhile, Broly seemed to have found what had him intrigued thus far and barked happily calling Marcelo over. As Marcelo walked over, he saw an Aspear Berry bush, which unfortunately was also picked clean barring some unripe berries which they weren't interested in either. However, that wasn't what caught Broly's attention as Marcelo looked behind it to find a tiny Wurmple who looked smaller than the usual size, possibly implying that this was, perhaps, a baby. The Wurmple seemed to be covered in dirt as if it had been digging, and it sure seemed the case as it was close to an underground nest in which Marcelo could see some berries buried. For a moment, Marcelo thought that this was it and all they would have to do was to defeat this Wurmple and get the berries and the quest would be over. But then his skeptical side popped up again reminding him of what he had read and heard about Wurmples. Though they were voracious eaters as compared to their weights, he had never heard of Wurmples eating or storing berries. To be sure, he thought the Pokedex might help him in this matter and he pulled it out from his pocket and pointed it towards the Bug Pokemon:

Originally Posted by Pokedex

Wurmple, the Worm Pokémon. Wurmple live primarily off of sap from trees. The suction cups on its feet keep it from slipping.

To check further, he checked the Pokemon diet details:

It sticks to tree branches and eats leaves.

'Hmm.. sap and leaves', he thought, 'no mention of any kinds of berries'. Although berries were common Pokemon food, Marcelo expected to see some documentation about the Wurmples' behaviour, had this been a commonly observed phenomenon. But that wasn't the case and it made Marcelo doubt the situation even more. Perhaps something or someone else was around and had collected the berries and the Wurmple just happened to be around... Or maybe the Wurmple was trying to steal the berries before they arrived... there were many other possibilities which could've given rise to this situation.

His thoughts explored various different directions before they were brought back to the situation at hand as he saw the angry Wurmple fire a Poison Sting towards Broly, who barely managed to dodge it. Realizing that this Wurmple wanted a battle, he kept his thoughts aside for the moment and whispered to Broly, "Go a little easy on it, okay?" and then shouted, "Broly, Roar to scare it off a bit and show how powerful you are so that it can get away unhurt. Should it decide to continue the battle, try to show it how fire feels by using Ember. If it still wants to battle, go ahead and give it a Heat Wave to blow it away as a final warning before we go all out." he said, as he pondered further on the other possibilities.

Happy Halloween, all! Here's another batch of updates I'm hoping you all will enjoy. Fitting, considering what day it is. Anyway, if there's anything you need to ask about or something that you want me to change, just send a PM/VM my way, alright? Cool. *heads off to bed*

~!~

Tyoyo3131:
“It’s cool,” he says, shrugging as he helps pull you to your feet. The Sableye continues to glare, but the boy waves it off when he notices. “Don’t worry about Gem; he’s always like that with new people.” He glances around at the other rides, seeming to debate which one to go on next, while the Sableye keeps a distrustful eye on you. Not that you’re in any shape to do anything, as you take another look around at the lively amusement park, still somewhat shocked.

“Hey, you sure you’re okay?” the boy asks, interrupting your thoughts. He peers up at you with a worried frown. “You look kinda out of it. Should I go get someone?” Before you could answer either way, though, a shout comes out over the crowd and the boy quickly forgets about your condition in his excitement. “Gem! We gotta go over there now! C’mon! I don’t wanna miss this ride.” He quickly rushes off and the Sableye follows after one last glare; the two are quickly lost in the crowd, leaving you to your own devices.

As you try to decide what to do, though, the announcement that had excited the little boy so much comes over the crowd again, but this time, you can make out the words: “The train is currently boarding! The train is currently boarding! Come take a ride on one of the Isle’s most popular attractions!” The mention of a train reminds you of something you might have seen on the news and you have a slight bad feeling in your gut when you remember seeing the boy eagerly dart off towards the ride.

What will you do?

~!~

Ariden:
Your distraction works wonderfully as the two larger shadows visibly pause in their actions to stare in your direction, four glowing circles turned toward you. You can tell by their hesitance that they are puzzled and confused, both by your presence and by the statements you’d made. The smaller shadow against the wall inches towards you and, seeing that neither of the larger two pay it any mind, darts desperately at you, taking refuge behind you as the larger shadows seem to shake themselves back to reality. A quick glance downwards reveals the smaller shadow to be a fox-like Pokemon with six reddish tails, looking thoroughly terrified by the approaching shadows.

Those two eventually come close enough for you to faintly make out what they were: two quadrupeds with shaggy black fur on top of a gray coat. They growl menacingly at the little Vulpix, glancing up occasionally to gauge you and your Houndoom’s reaction, though they seem much more focused on the fox.

“Oi! Are you mutts done yet?” A sudden gruff and irritated voice calls down the length of the tunnel, followed by heavy footsteps and an approaching halo of light, bobbing up and down in time with the steps. The Mightyena appear to exchange an uneasy glance before continuing to advance on you, though more aggressively than before. The Vulpix shrinks back at the voice, huddling closer to your leg and beginning to whimper.

What will you do?

~!~

Son_of_Shadows:
The little girl glances back at you when you give Bishop his orders. You don’t really have to do that, y’know? He says he’s got friends everywhere, but he still hasn’t found out where we’ve been hiding. She shrugs, though it looks like she’s trying not to seem too smug. But if it makes you feel better…

Bishop nervously glances at you, clearly remembering what had happened the last time he’d used the move, but gathers up his courage and his eyes begin to glow as he sets down on your shoulder. The world lights up and the two of you are suddenly seeing Ghost Pokemon everywhere, though they seem to be ignoring you, for the most part. Mixed in, though, are the spirits of slain children and weary adults, repeating the actions they’d once done many, many years ago like a broken cassette. You even see a few translucent trainers, laughing or chatting with ghostly Pokemon around them. If you ignored the presence of the Ghost Pokemon hovering around, it would almost seem like a clip from the days when admittance to the amusement park was at its peak.

I sometimes think they’re the lucky ones, the little girl comments thoughtfully from where she’d fallen back to walk beside you. The smug tone from earlier has disappeared and she watches the passing spirits almost wistfully. They don’t know about any of this; they just go about doing the same things they’ve always done. A pause. They’re not really alive either, not like me and that boy and some of the others are; they can’t move around on their own or talk about other things or do other things, but...things are…simpler for them. It must be nice… She studies them a moment longer, before abruptly turning on her heel and taking the lead again in silence.

Eventually, the three of you come to a small, shabby tent and the little girl stops, though she glances around cautiously. A few beats pass before a tent flap is pushed open and another ghost’s head pokes out. Angela! Good to see you made it back, he says with a smile, gaze drifting over to you almost immediately afterwards. What’s up with the live one?

James. She nods back with a slight smile; she still seems to be a little down, though her voice takes on a wry tone. He got on the bad side of the Little Ones, she says, ducking into the tent and motioning for you to follow.

Really? James looks you over again, surprised. What happened? How’s he still alive?

He can tell you himself if you let him come in, comes the reply. With a sheepish grin, the other ghost steps aside, implicitly inviting you in.

What will you do?

~!~

King Ghidorah:
You call out to your Pokemon, hoping they would stop, but they both barely give you a glance; however, that glance told you everything you needed to know. Nidoran wasn’t quite herself and Murkrow was desperately trying to knock her out before the both of them were too injured to do much else. The Misdreavus still hadn’t noticed you, even after you’d yelled, as she was still having too much fun watching your two Pokemon battle each other.

Kingler Crosses his claws as he scuttles toward the Misdreaavus, his claws catching Fire right before he attacks. The ghost barely has a moment’s notice before it’s hit and it cries out as it flies back, hitting one of the tents ringing the arena and falling to the floor. Your Kingler takes a moment to catch his breath before preparing to use Brine, but a shadow darts past, startling him. He quickly refocuses and drenches the Misdreavus who shrieks in outrage and leaps up, darting forwards. Kingler prepares himself for an attack, but the Ghost Pokemon passes him by completely and gathers up the Pokeballs lying off to the side, quickly disappearing into the maze of tents afterwards.

Murkrow stumbles to her feet in the aftermath, winging her way into the air to land on your shoulder with a sigh of relief; however she normally acted, she was certainly glad to see you at that moment. After taking some time to look her over, you turn your attention to Kingler and Nidoran. Kingler is looking a little tired, though after everything that’s happened so far, that’s not too surprising. Nidoran, on the other hand, is the odd one out. Whatever that Midreavus had done to your Pokemon, it had pretty much removed or hidden any personality your Poison-type had had before. She stood blankly where she had ended up after using Cut on Murkrow and only responded mechanically to you. Still, you can’t help feeling better now that you have part of your team back with you.

What will you do now?

~!~

Takeo:
Apparently the atmosphere is affecting you more than you thought, as you taunt the Pokemon in a baby voice, “Aw, scared of a little poison, are you?” You follow that with a laugh that is more-than-slightly maniacal before giving Narcissa her orders. The Banette’s grin widens, obviously taking note of the effect the surroundings were having on you, though it chooses not to respond immediately as your Frillish attempts to use Surf. Instead, as she searches for water to use from the surroundings, the other Ghost Screeches, breaking Narcissa’s concentration and ripping into your eardrums as the sound bounces crazily in the tunnel.

However, as it comes in for a Night Shade, Narcissa Scalds it with a burst of boiling water, throwing it back and away from the two of you. It quickly shakes it off and glances at the Ball of Shadows forming in front of Narcissa again, shaking its head mock-exasperatedly at the sight. “Perhaps,” it says nonchalantly, “but I’m not the one who started a fight with a ghost on its battlefield.” It begins charging its own Shadow Ball and quickly catches up to the size of Narcissa’s, grinning as it takes aim. “Though I’m certainly not complaining.” The two Pokemon release their attacks simultaneously, the two shadowy blobs crashing in midair and bursting on impact, throwing even more dust and dirt into the air. Coughing from the sudden addition of debris, you squint through the cloud and spot a shadow approaching you, but you don’t know which ghost it is; the dust cloud obscures its outline and you can’t quite force your voice out yet.

What will you do?

~!~

Thrain:
“That’s true; I certainly did make this place hard to find,” she giggles in response to your comment. “But then, I made sure only people who were determined and focused enough could arrive.” As you take a seat in the rickety chair, a bad feeling begins to pool in your gut, but Blaze jumping up to your lap distracts you from it and, as the fortune teller speaks again, you push away to think about later. “Now, Eric, I believe you said you wanted your fortune told?” she asks, glancing at you to catch your agreement, before she pulls out a crystal ball. “Perhaps it’s a bit cliché,” she admits when she notices you glance at it, “but it has been reliably giving me fortunes for as long as I can remember. Give me a moment.” She stares into the clear orb, resting her hands in a loose circle at its base, occasionally rubbing it every few moments as though to wipe smudges off its surface.

When she speaks again, her voice has deepened and her eyes have darkened until they’re almost black. “Difficulties and treasures; a winding, crisscrossing path; a bright, bright glow and a dark, dark shadow,” she says, never taking her eyes off the crystal ball. She doesn’t even seem to be aware of your presence anymore nor does she notice the way the flaps of her tent begin moving. She opens her mouth to speak again and a great whirling overtakes the tent, the lantern instantly going out. There is barely any light in the tent, but the whipping winds prevent you from seeing much, though their roaring doesn’t drown out the high-pitched scream that is quickly cut off.

After a few more moments of roaring and flapping and tossing, the winds disappear as quickly as they came and the lantern lights back up unaided. The tent is now a mess, the crystal ball shattered on the floor and the table turned on its side. Debris litters the floor, but the biggest thing you notice is the lack of fortune teller’s presence. However, a piece of thick paper lies in your lap, between you and your Growlithe. Cautiously, you pick It up and unfold it, recognizing the writing as a list of seemingly-random instructions, the first of which says to head over to the Sideshow Alley. Could this be part of the fortune teller’s act or was it something else?

Son_of_Shadows:
The little girl glances back at you when you give Bishop his orders. You don’t really have to do that, y’know? He says he’s got friends everywhere, but he still hasn’t found out where we’ve been hiding. She shrugs, though it looks like she’s trying not to seem too smug. But if it makes you feel better…

Bishop nervously glances at you, clearly remembering what had happened the last time he’d used the move, but gathers up his courage and his eyes begin to glow as he sets down on your shoulder. The world lights up and the two of you are suddenly seeing Ghost Pokemon everywhere, though they seem to be ignoring you, for the most part. Mixed in, though, are the spirits of slain children and weary adults, repeating the actions they’d once done many, many years ago like a broken cassette. You even see a few translucent trainers, laughing or chatting with ghostly Pokemon around them. If you ignored the presence of the Ghost Pokemon hovering around, it would almost seem like a clip from the days when admittance to the amusement park was at its peak.

I sometimes think they’re the lucky ones, the little girl comments thoughtfully from where she’d fallen back to walk beside you. The smug tone from earlier has disappeared and she watches the passing spirits almost wistfully. They don’t know about any of this; they just go about doing the same things they’ve always done. A pause. They’re not really alive either, not like me and that boy and some of the others are; they can’t move around on their own or talk about other things or do other things, but...things are…simpler for them. It must be nice… She studies them a moment longer, before abruptly turning on her heel and taking the lead again in silence.

Eventually, the three of you come to a small, shabby tent and the little girl stops, though she glances around cautiously. A few beats pass before a tent flap is pushed open and another ghost’s head pokes out. Angela! Good to see you made it back, he says with a smile, gaze drifting over to you almost immediately afterwards. What’s up with the live one?

James. She nods back with a slight smile; she still seems to be a little down, though her voice takes on a wry tone. He got on the bad side of the Little Ones, she says, ducking into the tent and motioning for you to follow.

Really? James looks you over again, surprised. What happened? How’s he still alive?

He can tell you himself if you let him come in, comes the reply. With a sheepish grin, the other ghost steps aside, implicitly inviting you in.

What will you do?

Oh great, the kid was a one of those people. Smartasses. Great. Still, Bishop did as he was told. Better safe than sorry. What this did was reveal the truly tragic state of the park as it was. Ghost Pokemon flittered about the place, and spirits of those who had passed on continued about, as though they had not died at all. They seemed totally unaware of Joshua passing through, the Pokémon around them, or anything really. Was this what the afterlife was supposed to be like? He wasn't sure he could accept that. He couldn't agree with the little girl. These people were repeating the same thing over and over, unaware of anything else for the rest of time. Truly, it was hell.

Eventually, they came to a tent, where another ghostly child lay in wait. This one was James, and invited him in hoping to hear Joshua's tale. He took a seat on the ground and began to explain.

"I came to this amusement park to pay tribute to the victims of the rollercoaster crash here by burning incense. But I was soon surrounded by voices, suspicious of what I was doing, questioning me. However, when my Hoothoot here used his Foresight ability... It revealed these 'Little Ones' as you call them. They didn't exactly take kindly to being visible. I tried to explain my situation to them, but one of them, who I guess is their leader, managed to turn them on me." The next part was still very hard for Joshua to take in. "Then... Well, they all fused together into a giant. It was kind of weird. We tried to take out their leader, but it... Well, it just didn't work. Then I met... Angela? Right? Anyway, she told me we need to find his friends to take away his power or something like that and find trainers who were captured by him, and then we came here. It's... been a weird day. So, Angela, why have you brought me here?"

Originally Posted by scytherdude30
no no no you need an empoleon as your powerhouse da listen to me man I AM THE BOMB

Originally Posted by Zincspider

Yes, someone is getting 'killed'... HOORAY FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!....

King Ghidorah:
You call out to your Pokemon, hoping they would stop, but they both barely give you a glance; however, that glance told you everything you needed to know. Nidoran wasn’t quite herself and Murkrow was desperately trying to knock her out before the both of them were too injured to do much else. The Misdreavus still hadn’t noticed you, even after you’d yelled, as she was still having too much fun watching your two Pokemon battle each other.

Kingler Crosses his claws as he scuttles toward the Misdreaavus, his claws catching Fire right before he attacks. The ghost barely has a moment’s notice before it’s hit and it cries out as it flies back, hitting one of the tents ringing the arena and falling to the floor. Your Kingler takes a moment to catch his breath before preparing to use Brine, but a shadow darts past, startling him. He quickly refocuses and drenches the Misdreavus who shrieks in outrage and leaps up, darting forwards. Kingler prepares himself for an attack, but the Ghost Pokemon passes him by completely and gathers up the Pokeballs lying off to the side, quickly disappearing into the maze of tents afterwards.

Murkrow stumbles to her feet in the aftermath, winging her way into the air to land on your shoulder with a sigh of relief; however she normally acted, she was certainly glad to see you at that moment. After taking some time to look her over, you turn your attention to Kingler and Nidoran. Kingler is looking a little tired, though after everything that’s happened so far, that’s not too surprising. Nidoran, on the other hand, is the odd one out. Whatever that Midreavus had done to your Pokemon, it had pretty much removed or hidden any personality your Poison-type had had before. She stood blankly where she had ended up after using Cut on Murkrow and only responded mechanically to you. Still, you can’t help feeling better now that you have part of your team back with you.

What will you do now?

“It’s okay, you’re alright,” Hugo says to Murkrow, softly petting the bird on the head. Even though she is supposed to be the Darkness Pokemon, it’s quite obvious that the battle with Nidoran, the semi-possession by Misdreavus, and all the other bizarre happenings going on, Murkrow is scared and exhausted. Hugo places her onto Kingler’s massive pincer and the two begin a discussion, likely regarding what the other has seen. In the mean time, Hugo approaches Nidoran.

“Nidoran? Are you okay? It’s me…it’s Hugo. Can you hear me?” he questions, approaching the poison point Pokemon. Nidoran’s blank, emotionless stare gave Hugo chills as he approached her in the dark, tattered tent. He knew full well that he could be making a big mistake by approaching her. Whatever was going on, she wasn’t herself, and was likely to fly off the handle at any moment. Nonetheless, Hugo knew he was responsible for getting her into this mess, and regardless of what mental state she may be in, she was still his Pokemon and it was his responsibility to take of her.

He slowly approached her. Behind him, Murkrow cowered down on Kinger’s head, and tired as he may, Kingler still furrowed his brown and raised his massive claw, ready to jump into action for Hugo in the event that Nidoran had a negative reaction.

Hugo reached out his hand to the blank-staring Pokemon slowly, wincing slightly and restraining himself, preparing for an attack. He touched her shiny pink fur, which felt bristly, but disturbingly cold to the touch. Nidoran was not fazed. In fact, she appeared to have no reaction at all. Kingler and Murkrow watched on as Hugo closed in, scooping Nidoran into his arms and holding her close to him to try and warm her up. But still, she showed no signs of life. Just staring off into the distance.

“I’ve got you now. And everything…everything is going to be okay,” he told her. He carried her back toward Kingler and Murkrow.

“Look,” he told them. “No matter what happens. No matter what state we’re in. We’re in this together. We all need each other, and we’re going to stick together if we want to make it out of her. Okay?”

Kingler and Murkrow nodded. Nidoran didn’t move.

“O-okay then…let’s keep moving….”

With that, Hugo and his entourage slowly moved out of the tent, slightly anxious to see what may be on the other side waiting for them.

Happy Halloween, all! Here's another batch of updates I'm hoping you all will enjoy. Fitting, considering what day it is. Anyway, if there's anything you need to ask about or something that you want me to change, just send a PM/VM my way, alright? Cool. *heads off to bed*

~!~

Takeo:
Apparently the atmosphere is affecting you more than you thought, as you taunt the Pokemon in a baby voice, “Aw, scared of a little poison, are you?” You follow that with a laugh that is more-than-slightly maniacal before giving Narcissa her orders. The Banette’s grin widens, obviously taking note of the effect the surroundings were having on you, though it chooses not to respond immediately as your Frillish attempts to use Surf. Instead, as she searches for water to use from the surroundings, the other Ghost Screeches, breaking Narcissa’s concentration and ripping into your eardrums as the sound bounces crazily in the tunnel.

However, as it comes in for a Night Shade, Narcissa Scalds it with a burst of boiling water, throwing it back and away from the two of you. It quickly shakes it off and glances at the Ball of Shadows forming in front of Narcissa again, shaking its head mock-exasperatedly at the sight. “Perhaps,” it says nonchalantly, “but I’m not the one who started a fight with a ghost on its battlefield.” *It begins charging its own Shadow Ball and quickly catches up to the size of Narcissa’s, grinning as it takes aim. “Though I’m certainly not complaining.” The two Pokemon release their attacks simultaneously, the two shadowy blobs crashing in midair and bursting on impact, throwing even more dust and dirt into the air. Coughing from the sudden addition of debris, you squint through the cloud and spot a shadow approaching you, but you don’t know which ghost it is; the dust cloud obscures its outline and you can’t quite force your voice out yet.

The Banette’s grin widened, obviously taking note of the effect the surroundings were having on Hallow,

His Frillish attempting to use Surf, as she searched for water to use from her surroundings,
Seizing the opportunity, the other Ghost Screeched, breaking Narcissa’s concentration and ripping into Hallows eardrums as the sound bounced crazily through the tunnel,

Hallow fell to the floor pressing his hands against his ears to try and block off the sheer volume,
"Argh!,"
Narcissa looks back to her trainer to see if he was ok, distracted, Banette comes in for a Night Shade attack, Narcissa Scalds just in time bursting boiling water right toward the puppet, throwing it back and away from them.

The puppet quickly shook it off though, glancing at the Ball of Shadows forming in front of Narcissa again, shaking its head mock-exasperatedly at the sight. “Perhaps,” it said nonchalantly, “but I’m not the one who started a fight with a ghost on its battlefield.”

Hallow quickly got up now, his ears still ringing from the attack from before but he could still listen to what the doll was saying,

It began charging its own Shadow Ball and quickly caught up to the size of Narcissa’s, grinning as it took its aim.

She caught up, Hallow grit his teeth, "Tch," That quickly?,

“Though I’m certainly not complaining.”

The two Pokemon released their attacks simultaneously, the two shadowy blobs crashing in midair and bursting on impact, throwing even more dust and dirt into the air.

Hallow blocks the dust from his eyes, coughing from the sudden addition of debris,

The silence once again was deafening, the adrenaline he was receiving from the battle had made his heart beat faster and now was all he could hear, he squinted his eyes through the cloud and spotted a shadow approaching him, from the looks of things he couldn't quite tell which ghost it was, the dust cloud obscured its outline and his voice was still spiting out dust.

Thinking it might have been the Banette trying to surprise him, Hallow took to the offensive taking off his pack and launched to try to catch it.

Situated at the back of the theme park is a grand hotel where guests and their Pokémon stayed whilst visiting. The ground floor has the usual areas such as lobby, restaurant, boutique, and entertainment room, while the downstairs levels house a storeroom and very special casino for its patrons. The hotel is still very active but its guests are far different than you might be used to encountering. The eight upper floors containing the suites are more often than not inhabited by spirits, some being those who perished in the fateful incident that closed the park. Some are restless not realising they are dead, and some are harmless, while others are not. Wander around the hotel and you may find more than you'd bargained for.

Areas:The Upper Floors: There are eight upper floors to the hotel where the park's guests stayed, and some still dwell. One great mystery seems to be surrounding the sixth floor, or lack thereof, as the entire level seems to have vanished. Curious, as it's clearly visible from the outside, it just doesn't appear to exist within. The key to room thirteen is also rumoured to be located somewhere within the hotel, its sinister contents being protected as best they can. Can these two mysteries possibly be connected?

The eerie purple fog floated around them as Alli, Codi, and Pluto traveled in their little row boat across the vast body of water. Pluto stood up firmly at the front of the boat, with Alli sitting right behind him. They two of them looked straight ahead, waiting for any signs of land. Codi sat in the back, and had somehow become the one who was doing all the rowing. The fog around them made him uncomfortable, causing the fur on the back of his next stand up. Alli was likewise frightened, and when the boat collided with land, she gave a start and fell backwards. Pluto hopped forward, and wasted no time fastening their vessel to the rock. They found themselves at the edge of a rocky cliff. Alli and Codi looked upwards, but in the dense purple fog they could discern nothing. Pluto quickly scurried up the bank and disappeared over it. Alli followed up from behind, ascending quiet slowly, and was herself followed by Codi, who also proceeded precariously. Alli crawled forward into the cold grass on top of the bank, and got to her feet. Pluto was up ahead, standing in front of a chain link fence. Codi popped up behind, and the three on lookers gazed ahead. Far beyond the chain link fence they could make out the glimmering artificial lights of the theme park. Alli, for one, questioned this. She got out her notebook, and leaned down towards Pluto in order to let his eyes illuminate the page.
"Okay, here is what we're looking for. They're called Will-O-Wisps."
"Will-ah-wha?" Codi asked distractingly as he gazed at the amusement part from afar.
"Think of them like really big fireflies," Alli continued without taking any notice of her Lopunny. "From what I've read, they will often lead lost travelers astray by flickering and appearing to be artificial lights."
"Do they cause burn?"
"Codi, stay focused!" Alli giggled and shoved him, then she continued: "Will-O-Wisps are usually sighted in forest and swamps, and have a strong connection with ghost." Codi shuttered at the last words of his trainer.
"So if they're often found in forest or swamps, then what are we doing here?" Pluto screeched a response to Codi, who looked uncomfortable.
"What'd he say?" Ask Alli. Codi sighed.
"He said besides the obvious connect to ghost, if you appear to look like an artificial light, where best to hide but among other lights?" The trio turned to the far off amusement part, where they could discriminate many glimmering blue lights. One light flickered out as they watched. Was it a light blub burning out? Or something else? Pluto found that part of the bottom of the chain link fence was loose. By pulling it, he created enough space for Alli to slip through. She crawled under, followed by Pluto.
"Hey wait guys! Do we really have to go in there?" Pluto made a sarcastic, jeering screech at Codi, who looked on in annoyance before climbing part way up the fence and hopping over to the other side.
"What'd he say?" Alli asked again. Pluto had actually made a mocking remark about Codi's masculinity, but Codi did not answer. The group proceeded forward, lead mostly by Pluto as Alli and Codi both hung back in fright. The maneuvered around the theme park and found themselves at the large doors of a hotel. Pushing the doors in, the group stood in a large room with a checkered marble floors. The chandeliers above them flickered ominously. Pluto proceeded confidently, while Codi clung to the shoulders of Alli, who likewise scuffled forward slowly. When the entrance doors behind them suddenly slammed, both Alli and Codi jumped forward and landed on poor Pluto, who was crushed under their combined weight. He grew furious at their cowardice, and pumped his little fist on the ground.
"Sorry Pluto," Alli said as she and Codi got back to their feet. Pluto only grumbled. He didn't understand their fear of ghost. After all, wasn't he a ghost? Perhaps that was his problem, since he could not be afraid of himself as that would be paradoxical. Pluto decided not to mope about it, and instead got up and examined his surroundings. A wide grin grew on his face. Treasure was to be had here, Pluto could tell as he worked as a sort of metal detector in that regard. He rubbed his paws together greedily, and glanced about in an attempt to determine in what direction his fortune laid. Codi noticed his friend's eagerness, and quickly understood his objective. However, the spooky hotel still made him nervous. Alli got her notebook out and again went over her notes. Codi scooted in close to her while looking around the lobby nervously. Alli indicated something in her notebook of interest.
"I don't want to run into any ghost, but these are what we definitely need to look out for." Codi looked at her notebook and saw only a sketch of a beautiful female ghoul.
"Whats so bad about her?" Codi, in truth, found her to be quiet gorgeous.
"It's a Banshee. They're a different classification of ghost. Banshee's are closely associated with death. Some writings suggest that they're so hideous that a simple glance at them will make you die of fright."
"She doesn't look hideous," pointed out Codi who was poking the picture far more times than was necessary. Alli pulled her notebook away.
"Other sources say that their enchanting to look at, but will terrifyingly scream, especially if you approach one." She pulled a jar out from her backpack and tucked it under her arm. "Lets find a Will-O-Wisp and get out of here as fast as she can." Alli then noticed the check-in counter, and went to examine it. Pluto continue to sniff around, trying to determine what direction he should head in.
"It's not fair, you know. Pluto is always after treasure, so we go some place that has treasure. Little Bun is always searching for those imaginary creatures, so we go looking for them. Now, Codi wants lot of beautiful women, but do we go to the beautiful women? No, and apparently the ones that are here will kill us with their voices if we approach them." Alli was busy looking over all the room keys. "I mean, why don't we ever go someplace nice, like a beach! I'm sure there would be plenty of imaginary creatures there for you to find. Pluto could still look for treasure and I would have many sparsely dressed females to look at." All wasn't listening to the complaints of her Lopunny. Instead, she grabbed one of the shinier keys as though entranced. It had the number six written on it.
"And what are you going to do with that?"
"Make a necklace out of it, 'cause it's pretty," answered Alli honestly. She looped some thread through it and placed it around her next. Codi grumbled to himself, but quickly approached his trainer. He definitely did not want to be alone in this place. Pluto meanwhile had discovered the hotel directory and while looking it over, quickly decided that any gold they would fine would most likely be found below them, in the casino. He was prepared to descend the stairs when Alli scooped him up into her arms. Pluto snapped into a comatose state, as he always did when being held by his trainer. Codi snickered at his friend's embarrassing predicament.
With Pluto wrapped in one arm and the jar under her other, Alli took one final look around the lobby. Codi stayed close behind her, and took his previous position of slouching forward and leading on her shoulders. Alli considered that if Will-O-Wisps were indeed in the park, they might of made nest in the upper level rooms or attic.
"Where to, Little Bun?" Alli pointed up a large staircase, and the group ascended to the upper floors.

Sorry for disappearing for November, people. BUT, this means I'm feeling bad for not giving you all any warning about that, so I'm going to try to update six times this month (three for November and three for December). That said, there's no rush if you can't make them; I'm just announcing this as a heads-up.

Alright then. That's all I got for now. Hope you enjoy.

~!~

Son_of_Shadows:
The two children listen intently as you tell your tale, wincing and exchanging glances when you mention Bishop using Foresight. As you relate your attempt to explain what you were doing and how the leader turns the rest of them on you, Angela shakes her head while James runs a hand through his hair, both looking unsurprised. James nods when you go on to say that you were unsuccessful in taking out the leader and Angela nods when you mention her name. Wrapping up your tale, you turn back to the little ghost girl and ask her why she’d brought you there.

She looks slightly uncertain as she first glances at James, who looks curiously back at her, before turning back to you. You said you wanted to bring peace to the park, she says and James turns his gaze to you, thoughtfully studying you as Angela continues. While you probably can’t actually do that, I was hoping you could at least get rid of the leader of the Little Ones for the rest of us. That way, at least the ones who are stuck here can go about their own business without having to keep looking over their shoulder all the time. She shifts uneasily, worried that you might change your mind now.

Some of us are trapped here somehow, James adds, still studying you as though he isn’t quite sure whether you can handle whatever’s to come. That leader, he’s got a way to keep us from moving on to whatever’s next. He clenches a fist and stares through the tent wall for a moment. I mean, I know life’s unfair, but that is just cruel, he mutters furiously to himself, obviously wishing that he could get that little ghost back. He quickly shakes himself out of his rage when Angela speaks again.

Will you help us? She is still very obviously unsure about your answer, but you can see her struggling against a slight hope. I only brought you here so you could hear us out and so that he wouldn’t be able to find us while we talked, but you can still leave if you want.

What will you do?

~!~

King Ghidorah:
Having physically recovered two of your Pokémon, three of you cautiously exit the tent, bracing yourselves for whatever may be lying in wait on the other side. There is nothing there, though, except one or two Ghost-types floating overhead, minding their own business. It’s slightly suspicious and more-than-a-little worrying, but, after a few moments of waiting, you begin to relax minutely. There really doesn’t seem to be anything planned for you at the moment from either the Mismagius or the Misdreavus, so you turn your attention back to figuring out how to locate the rest of your team members.

As you are debating where to go and how you would find them when you don’t know where they are, you quickly recall the Pokeballs the Misdreavus had made sure to retrieve before it left. Could they have held your Pokémon? However, another glance shows the ghost is long gone. With no idea where it went, you wrack your brains for any clue the two ghosts could have unintentionally left that would lead you to your Pokémon. Eventually, you decide on a destination and begin walking, making sure to keep an eye out for your Pokémon or your adversaries.

Only moments later, a Pokeball rolls into your path, releasing its contents in a flash of red. A shaggy, black-and-gray canine materializes in front of you with a harsh shake, glancing around, before snarling at you. It quickly takes on a threatening pose, preparing to attack, but it practically radiates weariness and grief. A quick glance at your Pokémon shows that only Nidoran is in any shape to battle, though she still reminds you of a statue; Kingler and Murkrow look tired, but, if necessary, they could probably fight.

What will you do?

~!~

Allishinca:Welcome, Allishinca! I hope you enjoy your time here at Phantom Isle.

Having arrived at the haunted hotel to look for will-o-wisps, the three of you spend a few moments in the lobby to get your bearings (or, in Codi’s case, complain), before you collect Pluto and head upstairs, Codi following close behind.

After a flight or two of dark stairs, the three of you emerge on the first floor, which is dimly lit. Swirls of dust rise as you walk through, the area seemingly abandoned and undisturbed for a very long time. Scuttling sounds reach your ears as you approach, but they recede as their owners run off to hide in the darkened corners and sealed rooms lining the corridor. Nothing else moves, but you feel the gazes of unseen things on you the entire time.

Making your way up to the second floor, the same sights and sounds greet you as things scurry off to hide in the darkness, but was it a little bit brighter here or was it just your imagination? This time, you feel the brush of something cold on your arm and on your neck where the key to room number six hung, along with an unintelligible whisper in your ear. Neither Codi nor Pluto seem to have heard or felt anything, though, and, shakily, you move on to the next floor.

The third floor is no different from the first two—scuttling sounds, unseen gazes, a layer of dust on the floor—but it seemed slightly brighter. However, as you draw level with a candle sitting on a desk in the middle of the corridor, it briefly flares to life before going out, the sudden burst of light blinding you even as it startles you. By the time you regain your sight, the candle has disappeared without a trace. Once you recover from the scare and investigate for a bit, you continue towards the stairs for the fourth floor. At the last moment, a flash of movement in your peripherals has you turning, but only the deserted corridor meets your gaze.

As you reach the fourth floor, more movement greets you as something darts into one of the rooms. This time, you can tell it’s something red and, a moment later, something else emerges. It looks like…a floating blue ball of fire? The ball of fire floats toward you and then up, before spinning in circles and dancing, if you could call it that. It’s captivating, drawing your gaze back to it every time you try to look away and you almost don’t notice the candles flaring to life all along the corridor.

For several decades this remote theme park was a popular tourist attraction for people of all ages. Starting as a small fairground it was built into the land's largest and most sought after family holiday destination, the entire island eventually converted into one enormous theme park incorporating hundreds of rides, entertainment venues, and showcases. Contests were held, friendly trainer battles took place, children were even allowed to hire Pokémon for the day to either keep them company or to battle with in special kiddie events. When the park became so popular that families wished to stay longer than a single day in order to experience everything there was to offer, a grand hotel was built offering special and affordable deals for families and trainers alike. Then one day, several years ago and during the height of the theme park's popularity, a devastating fire on the Ghost Train responsible for the deaths of several adults, trainers, and dozens of children, closed the fairground to the public. Reconstruction work began immediately, but after many unexplained happenings involving serious injury, and in a few cases the death of construction workers, the repairs were put on hold. The spooky events continued long after, with many curious trespassers, as well as the security guards hired to keep them away, disappearing, never to be seen again, or turning up on the mainland frightened out of their wits with no memory of why, or of how they got there. Any and all attempts at reconstruction have since failed, leaving the theme park shrouded in an aura of darkness and mystery. As a result very few dared to venture here, the stench of death and misery allowing the theme park to become a breeding ground for the darker side of the Pokémon world. As supernatural activity in the deserted park increased, a strange purple haze began to appear until eventually the entire island was surrounded by it resulting in a permanent state of darkness shrouding it as natural light was unable to properly filter through. This of course deterred even more people from approaching the area as they deemed it far too dangerous. In recent weeks, however, some rather bizarre events are rumoured to be taking place, and as word spreads of the park once again being open, only now run by ghosts, the theme park has been renamed "The Phantom Isle". Now, some of the more daring adventurers in the land have been contemplating returning to the park to discover for themselves if there is indeed any truth to these amazing stories.

The Park

Despite the lack of human activity in the park during its closure, it seems those from the realm of the dead are quite active in these parts. All of the popular rides remain the same as they were prior to the ghost train event, but over time they seem to have become populated by very unsavoury characters in the form of spectres, poltergeists, and even some of the more mischievous Pokémon who want to manipulate anyone brave enough to enter such a place. If you dare to venture here, you'd best have your wits about you.

Areas:Ghost Train: Enter if you dare - The Ghost Train, the site of the disaster responsible for the closure of the theme park. Ghostly visits from children lost are reported to have scared many a construction crew away from this site while some of the strongest and darkest Pokémon of all are rumoured to dwell within the burnt out remains of this once popular ride.

Blaze had heard about this place on the television lately. It was when he was flipping through the channels at his Base, with his Geodude sitting nearby. When he had come to the special, he felt like it was something that seemed interesting to watch. He listened closely to the TV as they told about this place. "The recently dubbed "Phantom Isle", was once a bustling amusement park many a year ago, when children would come with their parents and Pokemon to have fun and play. But, one day, there was an accident here, and accident that was deadly. The Ghost Train, one of the most popular rides, caught on fire, and the raging inferno killed many children, adults and Pokemon. After that, strange events occurred, and many more people went missing or ended up dead afterwards. So, the park was closed down. But, mysteriously, the park reopened recently, and trainers have gone it to see whether or not rumors were true about the occurrences. Currently, it is unknown whether or not those trainers came back or not. Stay tuned....."

As Blaze looked in on the Amusement Park, he laughed a bit on the irony of it all. He was an athiest, and so far, didn't really believe that people could die and exist as spirits. He had seen it happen even with his own Yanmega, but was trying to find some sort of explanation for it all scientifically, rather then chalk it up to supernatural stuff. Blaze know that one of two possibilities were going to come of this: he was going to come out of this with a definite opinion, or, he was going to die because of this. He was going to try and prevent the second outcome. Taking two Pokeballs out of his pockets, he threw them into the air, both balls opening up to release two Pokemon. Out came Surgei his Yanmega and Marche his Geodude, two of his most trusted Pokemon. Immediately, Marche began to quake. "Blaze....I don't like it here. It is so dark...and evil. i am not sure what it is or where it has come from, but something is evil and bad here. I would leave." "Not today Marche. I came here because I wanted to learn...and I wanted to help people. Think about it. If we can help these lost souls, wouldn't we have done something right? Let us be a light in the dark of this place." Marche looked down at this, and shed a tear. "You're right. My fear had controlled me. What good is it being a Paladin if you don't help people in need. You can't just help out the easy to help people. That would be wrong. Just be careful." "Totally."

"So, out first destination is the Ghost Train." "Blaze, forgive me, but are you nuts?" Surgei said. "Yeah, but no. That is where the whole thing started, and it is linked to what has happened around here, and we need to make sure we investigate it. Even if our journey sends us elsewhere, we know for a fact that our journey starts there. So, lets go.

For several decades this remote theme park was a popular tourist attraction for people of all ages. Starting as a small fairground it was built into the land's largest and most sought after family holiday destination, the entire island eventually converted into one enormous theme park incorporating hundreds of rides, entertainment venues, and showcases. Contests were held, friendly trainer battles took place, children were even allowed to hire Pokémon for the day to either keep them company or to battle with in special kiddie events. When the park became so popular that families wished to stay longer than a single day in order to experience everything there was to offer, a grand hotel was built offering special and affordable deals for families and trainers alike. Then one day, several years ago and during the height of the theme park's popularity, a devastating fire on the Ghost Train responsible for the deaths of several adults, trainers, and dozens of children, closed the fairground to the public. Reconstruction work began immediately, but after many unexplained happenings involving serious injury, and in a few cases the death of construction workers, the repairs were put on hold. The spooky events continued long after, with many curious trespassers, as well as the security guards hired to keep them away, disappearing, never to be seen again, or turning up on the mainland frightened out of their wits with no memory of why, or of how they got there. Any and all attempts at reconstruction have since failed, leaving the theme park shrouded in an aura of darkness and mystery. As a result very few dared to venture here, the stench of death and misery allowing the theme park to become a breeding ground for the darker side of the Pokémon world. As supernatural activity in the deserted park increased, a strange purple haze began to appear until eventually the entire island was surrounded by it resulting in a permanent state of darkness shrouding it as natural light was unable to properly filter through. This of course deterred even more people from approaching the area as they deemed it far too dangerous. In recent weeks, however, some rather bizarre events are rumoured to be taking place, and as word spreads of the park once again being open, only now run by ghosts, the theme park has been renamed "The Phantom Isle". Now, some of the more daring adventurers in the land have been contemplating returning to the park to discover for themselves if there is indeed any truth to these amazing stories.

The Park

Despite the lack of human activity in the park during its closure, it seems those from the realm of the dead are quite active in these parts. All of the popular rides remain the same as they were prior to the ghost train event, but over time they seem to have become populated by very unsavoury characters in the form of spectres, poltergeists, and even some of the more mischievous Pokémon who want to manipulate anyone brave enough to enter such a place. If you dare to venture here, you'd best have your wits about you.

Areas:Ghost Train: Enter if you dare - The Ghost Train, the site of the disaster responsible for the closure of the theme park. Ghostly visits from children lost are reported to have scared many a construction crew away from this site while some of the strongest and darkest Pokémon of all are rumoured to dwell within the burnt out remains of this once popular ride.

A boy in his early teens walked into The Haunted Theme Park, and Eevee close by, nearly clinging to his right leg. Cele sighed at the sight and picked Shade up, holding him in his arms. "Shade, just because this place is called Phantom Isle, it doesn't mean that it's haunted. The brochures we read were probably designed to keep people away." Cele said. He grabbed a Pokeball from his belt, and released the Pokemon held inside. In a flash of white light, a Hoothoot emerged, taking in his surroundings. "Hoothoot?" he said in an inquisitve manner. "Soren, we're at the Haunted Theme Park, Phantom Isle. We're gonna do some exploring, but we need your help. Your night vision and ability to fly should help a lot." Cele said.

"Now, I'm thinking we should go to the Fortune Teller's Tent." Cele suggested. "Eev!" Shade said as he shook his head. "Okay, how about the Funhouse?" "Eev!" Shade said again, shaking his head. "Okay then, we can go on a train. A nice, relaxing, not filled with ghosts train." Cele said, leaving out the part about the Ghost Train's crash causing the destruction of Phantom Isle. "Eevee!" Shade remarked, nodding. "Finally!" Cele said. The trio went up to a map posted on a board, and looked for the directions to the Ghost Train. Unfortunately, the map was so badly burned and damaged, that they couldn't make out anything."Damnit." Cele muttered. Then, he got an idea. "Soren, could you fly really high and look for the train with Foresight?" Cele asked. "Hoot!" Soren said as he flew up as high as his tiny wings could take him and used Foresight. Soren flew back to the ground and motioned for Cele to follow him.

Cele followed Soren, and in fifteen minutes, they had reached their destination. The Ghost Train looked absolutely horrid. It was burned in many placed, pieces had fallen off, amongst other things. Many thoughts were going through Cele's head. "How did this train crash? It couldn't have been just by chance. That's what I want to find out. How the Ghost Train's famous and deadly accident occured." Cele thought to himself. "Okay guys, let's go!" Cele said.

Despite the lack of human activity in the park during its closure, it seems those from the realm of the dead are quite active in these parts. All of the popular rides remain the same as they were prior to the ghost train event, but over time they seem to have become populated by very unsavoury characters in the form of spectres, poltergeists, and even some of the more mischievous Pokémon who want to manipulate anyone brave enough to enter such a place. If you dare to venture here, you'd best have your wits about you.

Sideshow Alley: Contains all of the normal things you would find in a sideshow with one exception - a memorial wall set up with dozens of plaques in honor of the deceased children who never made it off the ride of a lifetime. Each plaque has a space for flowers to honor their memories if you wish, but beware, for the sad and gloomy atmosphere around here attracts more than curious trainers.

"We're here, Rags!" A young man at the entrance to the park was shouting. A Ralts stood behind him, clamped to his leg. "What would be the best place to start, you think? Funhouse or House of Mirrors?"

"Ru?" the ralts replied, looking up at his trainer.

"Huh, what?" The trainer looked at his hands and realized he was holding some flowers. "Oh right," he thought to himself. Before coming to the island, the two had discussed what their first plan of assault was. In a moment of clarity, the trainer Lucas had decided to first go to the memorial wall and show respect to the spirits of the departed. "It's probably best that I'd do so if I want to travel here safely. Best not to anger any spirits." Lucas let out a deep sigh. "Fine, we'll head for the memorial wall first and then we'll go ghost searching."

"RURURU!" The Ralts was holding on tightly to his trainer's jeans.

"Because," he replied. "It's best if you gain some experience in fighting with a type disadvantage. Not to mention that this is a great place to explore if you want adventure. And that is what we came for isn't it?" It wasn't that he understood pokémon speech, but the two of them have lived together long enough to understand what feelings they were trying to convey. Lucas was now grinning towards his pokémon. "Am I right? Besides, I'm not scared, so why should you be?" Before he could take those words back, the Ralts looked up at his trainer, gripped him even tighter and started shaking uncontrollably.

Lucas and Rags had grown up together since their childhood and since the Ralts' species can sense emotions of others, Rags had started mimicking Lucas emotions and feelings. His true feelings. Lucas stood there uncomfortable as his pokémon was revealing his true feeling at the time; he was frightened. The trainer was putting on a brave face, but was in reality just as scared as his pokémon.

Lucas placed his hand on Rags' head. His expression was a lot more serious than it was before. "This is why we need to go to the memorial wall first. To ensure a safe travel in this theme park. As long as we don't lose sight of each other, it'll turn out fine." Once he had reassured his pokémon, he set out, with his Ralts still holding the lower part of his jeans, looking around to see if anything was going to pop out of nowhere.

Finally both of them arrived at the sideshow alley, where the memorial wall was set up. It was filled with pictures depicting children. Children who lost their lives during the freak accident on the ghost train. Lucas noticed there were spaces left out for flowers to be placed. Most of them already had flowers in them, probably from their grieving parents. A lot of the flowers were withered out, he noticed. He took a step forward and placed the flower's down in front of the wall. He didn't come for anyone specifically, the flowers were for all the victims.

Lucas sat down in front of the wall, Rags right beside him. "What's the appropriate time to stay?" He wondered how long he'd have to wait before he could head out and explore the rest of the park. They just sat there for a long time, waiting.

Allishinca:Welcome, Allishinca! I hope you enjoy your time here at Phantom Isle.

Having arrived at the haunted hotel to look for will-o-wisps, the three of you spend a few moments in the lobby to get your bearings (or, in Codi’s case, complain), before you collect Pluto and head upstairs, Codi following close behind.

After a flight or two of dark stairs, the three of you emerge on the first floor, which is dimly lit. Swirls of dust rise as you walk through, the area seemingly abandoned and undisturbed for a very long time. Scuttling sounds reach your ears as you approach, but they recede as their owners run off to hide in the darkened corners and sealed rooms lining the corridor. Nothing else moves, but you feel the gazes of unseen things on you the entire time.

Making your way up to the second floor, the same sights and sounds greet you as things scurry off to hide in the darkness, but was it a little bit brighter here or was it just your imagination? This time, you feel the brush of something cold on your arm and on your neck where the key to room number six hung, along with an unintelligible whisper in your ear. Neither Codi nor Pluto seem to have heard or felt anything, though, and, shakily, you move on to the next floor.

The third floor is no different from the first two—scuttling sounds, unseen gazes, a layer of dust on the floor—but it seemed slightly brighter. However, as you draw level with a candle sitting on a desk in the middle of the corridor, it briefly flares to life before going out, the sudden burst of light blinding you even as it startles you. By the time you regain your sight, the candle has disappeared without a trace. Once you recover from the scare and investigate for a bit, you continue towards the stairs for the fourth floor. At the last moment, a flash of movement in your peripherals has you turning, but only the deserted corridor meets your gaze.

As you reach the fourth floor, more movement greets you as something darts into one of the rooms. This time, you can tell it’s something red and, a moment later, something else emerges. It looks like…a floating blue ball of fire? The ball of fire floats toward you and then up, before spinning in circles and dancing, if you could call it that. It’s captivating, drawing your gaze back to it every time you try to look away and you almost don’t notice the candles flaring to life all along the corridor.

What will you do?

Alli ascended the stairs in fearful struts with Codi following close behind at a leisurely pace. Codi's eyes moved behind him, as he nervously attempted to survey their surroundings. Pluto's head bobbed up and down in Alli's arms in an unaware state as he always did when being held. His glowing eyes provided the group with light as they climbed forward. Tripping over the final step, Alli stumbled onto the first floor. The glass jar clinked against the metal buckles on her overalls and echoed down the dark hallway. Codi hopped up the last of the stairs and returned to his trainer's side. Very little light penetrated their new surroundings. Alli let out a light, kitten-like sneeze as dust tickled her nose. Codi flinched as the noise reverberated about the dark. Hearing his trainer step forward, Codi reached out and place his paw on his trainer's shoulder as to not loose her in the pitch blackness.

"It doesn't look like anyone has been here for a long time, Little Bun." Alli nodded shortly, but her response went unnoticed in the poor visibility. Around them flowed scratching noises of unknown creatures scuttling about. Codi lifted an ear to listen, only to find it fade away as they approached. An uncomfortable feeling of being observed caused the group members to shiver, with the except of Pluto who remained lost to the world.

Moving on, the group took a second staircase, and arrived at the next floor. The scuttling noises reappeared as Codi and Alli listened to them diminish. Alli had the odd premonition that the new hallway was slightly better lit, but was unsure why she felt so. She attempted to position Pluto with her right arm as she held the glass jar tightly with her left. Pluto's glowing eyes illuminated the floor, displaying the dust swirling about. An eerie sensation swept over Alli, as though a freezing hand had reached about her throat. She heard a voice that whispered something unintelligible, causing her to jump back in fright. The thick glass jar hit the ground with a gentle clink, and rolled across the floor towards Codi.
"What is it?" Alli frantically felt around her neck, ensuring that she was not hurt.

"I felt something. I heard something," she whispered loudly in her terror.
"I didn't hear nothing," Codi stated boldly, despite large eyes showing his fear. He gestured back down the stairs, symbolizing his desire to leave. Alli also wanted to dive back down the stairway and leave the spooky mansion behind her, but shook her head in disagreement.
"We're almost to the top," murmured Alli. Codi grumbled to himself as he bent over and picked up the glass jar. The two reconnected before proceeding.

The old stairway creaked as the group emerged onto floor three. It also seemed brighter than the last, causing Alli to glance back down the staircase in a confused manner. Codi placed his hand on Alli's shoulder, causing them to meet each other's eyes as he indicated forward. Up ahead, a desk was placed in the middle of the corridor. On it flickered a sol flame, dancing on top a candle stick. Curiosity pushed Alli and Codi towards the candle, as they leaned forward to observe. In a sudden flash, Alli and Codi found themselves blinded by light. In a panicked bought of energy, they collided with each other and crashed to the ground. The jar again rolled away into the darkness, and Pluto slipped free. He shook his head while trying to regain his awareness. Quickly thinking only of treasure, Pluto became aware of his surroundings, and crossed his arms in a pouting motion when he realized the distanced placed between him and the Casino. Alli rubbed her eyes in order to regain her sight. Codi returned to his feet, and the two of them noticed in unison that the mysterious candle had disappeared. They shot each other fearful glances as Pluto tried to make sense of the odd situation he had just awoken into. Approaching the desk, Pluto knocked on it. Finding nothing amiss, he gave his teammates an inquisitive look. Not wanted to embarrass himself too much in front of his good friend, Codi brushed himself off and pretended to act casual. Alli crawled about on her hands and knees in search of her jar. The sound if it rolling had been brief, yet Alli found no trace of it as though it had been swallowed up by the darkness. Not wanting to venture to far away from her companions, she gave up searching and returned to her teammates. Noticing Codi standing in a confident position, she took this as a sign that he was willing to proceed forward. Alli stepped up closely next to him before proceeding forward. Pluto took one last longing glance down the stairway in hopes of returning to his Casino before disregarding the idea at present and following behind his trainer. Codi, aware that the group was continuing, let his shoulders slump sadly as he took a nervous look around before taking up the caboose. Alli placed a foot on the stair, before turning back towards the hallway. Finding it empty, she froze as Pluto scurried up the stairs pass her. Alli pointing to where the desk was, notifying Codi of its absence. They had very little time to stand shaking as the screeching noises of Pluto echoed down from the stairs, impatiently encouraging their ascent. Alli and Codi dashed up the stairs to meet their brave friend.

Pluto tapped his foot in annoyance as he waiting for his teammates to catch up. Alli and Codi burst onto the fourth floor and reunited with their tiny companion. Mysterious creatures darted about in the darkness. Alli and Pluto only caught a flash of red before it vanished into an open bedroom. Little Pluto growled as though to intimidate any would-be threats. This appeared to work as an invitation, for a moment later a glowing light emerged. Flickering like fire, a small blue ball hovered out of the bedroom and towards the group. Pluto gave the light an inquisitive look while Alli and Codi stood wide-eyed. The tiny flame approached and began to circle the group in a bobbing motion. Alli watched closely as though captivated. Finding the flame to nonthreatening, Pluto looked away as though uninterested. Codi stood stunned, as his intense disbelief of Cryptids was shook by the mere sight of the strange light.
"H-Hey, Little Bun, is that really a...?" Codi's whisper was so shaken that it became inaudible. Alli did not response, but instead smiled. She found herself oddly happy, as though she had reconnected with a lost kin. When the strange flame circled her again, she mimicked the motion and danced with it. When it bobbed down the hallway, an entranced Alli followed. Her happiness dissipated her fear of the dark mansion. Codi was not so fortunate, as he stood dumbfounded and still very much afraid.

The room sudden blazed with light, as candles flared up all down the hallway. Pluto stood up, and raised his paws defensively. Codi glanced around wildly until backing up against Pluto. Alli continued to twirl about with her new friend, oblivious to her surroundings.

Pluto elbowed the back of Codi's leg, and informed him to draw Alli's attention. Codi was too terrified to call out, and shook his head in refusal. Pluto rolled his glowing eyes and screeched out towards Alli, whose attention was momentary diverted from the glowing orb. Pluto pointed towards the room that he had seen the red object disappear into, and quickly darted in after it. Codi looked around in a panic when he realized that he was standing alone, and darted into the bedroom after Pluto.

"Hey!," Alli called out to her team, but with no response. Returning her gaze to the blue fire, she raised her hands as though to hold it before sadly turning away and following after her Pokemon.

Welcome to Blaze, Celebii, and Ex-Admiral Insane. I hope you enjoy your time here in Phantom Isle.

Also, Blaze, Celebii, hope you don't mind my putting you two into a joint adventure. If you'd rather I split you two up, then just say so.

~!~

Plight of Leon/BlazeVA:
Neither believing in any deity nor believing that people could return as spirits, you enter the Haunted Amusement Park in order to investigate the Ghost Train, the site of the disaster that had set this place on its path from normal and popular theme park to possibly haunted and supernatural. Both of your Pokémon have misgivings about this place but they follow you to the Ghost Train anyway, warily and cautiously keeping an eye out for anything that could show up on the way.

As you walk, a whisper on the wind seems to solidify until it is audible. An atheist? And one who doesn’t believe in ghosts either. A slight chuckle. We can certainly have fun with this one, can’t we? You end up brushing it off as a figment of your imagination, though the goose bumps rising on your arms may indicate otherwise. Or maybe they’re just responding to the dropping temperature that seems to be localized on you, as neither of your Pokémon seem affected. You shiver slightly as something else ends up settling itself around your shoulders for a moment and, this time, your Pokémon notice your reaction. There’s nothing visible to describe, though, and you continue onwards, maybe the slightest bit unnerved.

As you get closer to the Ghost Train, a breeze picks up again and you hear that voice that you’d brushed off earlier return. The Ghost Train? It sounds disapproving, before returning to normal. In that case, maybe we’ll see you on the other side. There’s a light pressure on your neck as the voice fades away, Surgei seeming to stumble in his flight as though something had pushed him or the air around him had shifted. Curious, you reach up to feel where that pressure had been and find blood on your fingers. Was this the work of that voice?

Not even five minutes later, you arrive at the attraction and it serves as a welcome distraction from the thoughts that had begun creeping into your mind. On the platform leading to the burned-out train, another trainer stood, possibly a familiar one, with an Eevee huddling near his feet and a Hoothoot perched on his shoulder. He looks like he’s here to investigate the Ghost Train, too.

What will you do?

~!~

FlashFusion/Celebii151:
You arrive at the Haunted Theme Park with you Eevee cowering close to you, frightened by the atmosphere surrounding the park. Perhaps he could sense something beyond what you could and was responding to that, but the appearance of your Hoothoot and your giving him the choice of where to go seems to have distracted him for the moment.

Upon deciding to head to the Ghost Train, the three of you go up to a map pinned on a board and attempt to puzzle out how to get to the attraction, to no avail. Instead, you ask Soren to search for the train with a Foresight and he agrees, shooting straight up, as high as he could go. From his vantage point, he easily spots the train, but is momentarily distracted by the other things he notices across the park.

Near the Helter-Skelter, a Sableye and Mismagius hover over an unconscious trainer wearing a black jacket. On the other side, a trainer with a Kingler, a Murkrow, and a shiny Nidoran♀ faces off with a Mightyena. At the entrance to the park, another trainer had entered and is currently heading towards the Sideshow Alley with a handful of flowers and a terrified-looking Ralts clinging to his leg. In the midst of the tents, a giant glob of a ghost melts and separates back into many young children, all carrying the marks of their death, as another child directs them to search the surrounding tents, stands, and attractions. And, above all, there are ghostly figures and Ghost-types everywhere he looked. Trainers walking and talking to their partners, parents chasing after children and chatting with each other as teens and kids run everywhere, looking like they’re having the time of their life. Gastly and Shuppet and Duskull and Misdreavus, all scattered in rather large numbers around the park.

Spotting a Misdreavus and Gastly looking particularly excited and moving in your direction, Soren hurriedly returns to you and begins to lead you to the Ghost Train, making sure to avoid as many of the things he saw as possible. Though he can’t directly tell you what he saw up there, you can tell that he’s now unnerved and very tense; he’s constantly looking around, scanning both sides of the path as he leads you to your destination.

Once you arrive at the attraction, Soren lands on your shoulder and you can feel him vibrating like a taut string, as he scans your surroundings once again. You, however, are examining the Ghost Train, taking in the burnt pieces and charred sides, the broken windows and unstable floor. It almost seems to give off a feeling of horror, terror, and grief and those emotions were beginning to worm their way into your heart when Soren draws your attention to an approaching, possibly familiar, trainer. The newcomer has a Geodude and Yanmega traveling with him, and he seems to have gotten on the bad side of something as there’s blood on his neck. However, it looks like he’s here to investigate the Ghost Train, too.

What will you do?

~!~

Ex-Admiral Insane:
Having had your brave front torn down by your starter, the two of you make your way to the memorial wall set at the Sideshow Alley in order to pay your respects and, hopefully, for safe passage. Thankfully, nothing decides to accost you on the way to the location, though you’re not quite sure whether that’s a good thing or a bad one. Your Ralts is terrified, though; not only is he feeling your fear, along with his own, he’s also feeling the fear and terror that hovers over the park like a fog, one of the many remnants of the Ghost Train accident. Not to mention that of the trainers, construction workers, security guards, and trespassers who had all disappeared or died here under mysterious circumstances.

When you arrive at the memorial wall, though, most of the terror and fear seem to dissipate, letting your Ralts regain control of himself and stop his violent shaking. Perhaps the children the wall is dedicated to have come to protect this place from the rest of the spirits and Ghost-types that make their home here. Whatever the case, you set the flowers down in front of the wall and sit down, wondering how long you should stay to ensure a safe trip while you’re here.

Time passes and still you remain there, waiting for a sign—maybe?—that would tell you that you’ve stayed long enough to be safe in the park. But after examining all the photos along the wall and making up stories and backgrounds for some of them, you eventually end up accidentally drifting off to sleep, the lack of anything to do while you wait finally getting to you. As the darkness descends, the last thing you hear is Rags’ panicked voice calling your name and shaking you.

-------

Blearily, you open your eyes and they shoot open at the sight of another two pairs of eyes looking at you from way-too-close. Scrambling backwards with a surprised yell, you catch your breath and stare at the two translucent children untangling themselves from where they’d fallen in surprise when you yelled. As they right themselves, it quickly becomes obvious that the two are identical twins. They’re even dressed the same and make the same expression as they frown at each other, before turning to speak to you.

We found you asleep at the picture wall, one says.

We were hoping you’d play a game with us, says the other.

It’s very boring here.

There’s no one who’ll play with us anymore.

Except the Dusknoir.

The others have already won, anyway.

Will you play with us?

Both children look eagerly up at you, pleading with you to play with them. You notice they haven’t explained how to play yet nor what the game is and glance uneasily around the tent. It’s then that you realize that Rags is nowhere to be found.

What will you do?

~!~

Allishinca:You were right the first time: that door is open. If it had gone through the door, I probably would have said so. Next time, though, I’ll make sure to be clearer.

Though the little blue ball of fire had captivated you, Pluto’s screech snapped you out of it, before both he and Codi disappeared through the open doorway. You give the little will-o-the-wisp a sad look and then followed after them into one of the hotel’s rooms.

Had you visited at the peak of the park’s popularity, the room would have looked elegant and expensive with its queen-sized bed and canopy being the first thing to draw the eye. An old television sat in a large wooden wardrobe across from the bed’s headboard and a wooden desk sat next to it, under the cobwebbed, dusty, and fogged-up window. A darkened ceiling light sat in the middle of the room and two more lights were attached to the wall on either side of the bed with two bedside tables sitting underneath them. On your right was the door that, presumably, led to the bathroom, while the switch on your left probably turned on the room’s light. It wasn’t necessary at the moment, though, as the light from the candles in the hall spilled over into the room, alongside the purple glow coming in through the window.

Whatever had made that flash of red when you’d first arrive on the floor wasn’t visible, but there were, at least, four other blue balls of fire hovering around the room, illuminating everything for you to see. The four balls were floating around, bobbing and weaving with each other, as though playing a game, once again capturing your attention to the exclusion of everything else. Even Pluto’s screech won’t be enough to break you out of it this time.

However, they loosen their hold on your attention when Pluto finds something under the bed, rolling out with it as the two wrestle. Its red coat proves that it’s the one who the three of you had seen earlier and, when the two break apart, the three of you get a good view of it. It’s a little fox-like Pokémon with a red coat, brown socks, curls between its ears, and six tails. It’s also glaring Pluto down and spreading its tails, preparing for a fight, even as the fire balls attract your attention again.

Son_of_Shadows:
The two children listen intently as you tell your tale, wincing and exchanging glances when you mention Bishop using Foresight. As you relate your attempt to explain what you were doing and how the leader turns the rest of them on you, Angela shakes her head while James runs a hand through his hair, both looking unsurprised. James nods when you go on to say that you were unsuccessful in taking out the leader and Angela nods when you mention her name. Wrapping up your tale, you turn back to the little ghost girl and ask her why she’d brought you there.

She looks slightly uncertain as she first glances at James, who looks curiously back at her, before turning back to you. You said you wanted to bring peace to the park, she says and James turns his gaze to you, thoughtfully studying you as Angela continues. While you probably can’t actually do that, I was hoping you could at least get rid of the leader of the Little Ones for the rest of us. That way, at least the ones who are stuck here can go about their own business without having to keep looking over their shoulder all the time. She shifts uneasily, worried that you might change your mind now.

Some of us are trapped here somehow, James adds, still studying you as though he isn’t quite sure whether you can handle whatever’s to come. That leader, he’s got a way to keep us from moving on to whatever’s next. He clenches a fist and stares through the tent wall for a moment. I mean, I know life’s unfair, but that is just cruel, he mutters furiously to himself, obviously wishing that he could get that little ghost back. He quickly shakes himself out of his rage when Angela speaks again.

Will you help us? She is still very obviously unsure about your answer, but you can see her struggling against a slight hope. I only brought you here so you could hear us out and so that he wouldn’t be able to find us while we talked, but you can still leave if you want.

What will you do?

A desperate little spirit asking him to please help them. But how on earth could he defeat the leader child? No, there was no question in this, he couldn't ignore their pleas. He'd figure something out during the battle. He had Bishop's psychic attacks, his Foresight, and his other Pokémon to back him up. Whether that would be enough... Maybe he should've looked up the Ghostbusters' number before coming to this park.

How did he always get roped into these things? Go to an abandoned amusement park to pay respects to the deceased, get attacked by a swarm of ghosts without any legitimate provocation. Go for a picnic in the forest, end up burning down a clearing and get into the middle of a war between two Beedrill hives. Go to a non-abandoned water park and get almost killed by Team Aqua a few times. Go walking in the Cloud Garden, end up breaking into a Team Galactic Hideout.

... Joshua needed a holiday in the worst way.

"Alright, let's do it. How do I get rid of this kid?"

Originally Posted by scytherdude30
no no no you need an empoleon as your powerhouse da listen to me man I AM THE BOMB

Originally Posted by Zincspider

Yes, someone is getting 'killed'... HOORAY FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!....

Allishinca:You were right the first time: that door is open. If it had gone through the door, I probably would have said so. Next time, though, I'll make sure to be clearer.

Though the little blue ball of fire had captivated you, Pluto’s screech snapped you out of it, before both he and Codi disappeared through the open doorway. You give the little will-o-the-wisp a sad look and then followed after them into one of the hotel’s rooms.

Had you visited at the peak of the park's popularity, the room would have looked elegant and expensive with its queen-sized bed and canopy being the first thing to draw the eye. An old television sat in a large wooden wardrobe across from the bed's headboard and a wooden desk sat next to it, under the cobwebbed, dusty, and fogged-up window. A darkened ceiling light sat in the middle of the room and two more lights were attached to the wall on either side of the bed with two bedside tables sitting underneath them. On your right was the door that, presumably, led to the bathroom, while the switch on your left probably turned on the room's light. It wasn't necessary at the moment, though, as the light from the candles in the hall spilled over into the room, alongside the purple glow coming in through the window.

Whatever had made that flash of red when you'd first arrive on the floor wasn't visible, but there were, at least, four other blue balls of fire hovering around the room, illuminating everything for you to see. The four balls were floating around, bobbing and weaving with each other, as though playing a game, once again capturing your attention to the exclusion of everything else. Even Pluto's screech won’t be enough to break you out of it this time.

However, they loosen their hold on your attention when Pluto finds something under the bed, rolling out with it as the two wrestle. Its red coat proves that it's the one who the three of you had seen earlier and, when the two break apart, the three of you get a good view of it. It's a little fox-like Pokémon with a red coat, brown socks, curls between its ears, and six tails. It’s also glaring Pluto down and spreading its tails, preparing for a fight, even as the fire balls attract your attention again.

What will you do?

Pluto confidentially proceeded into the room, while Codi balked at the sight that awaited them. Alli had entered behind Codi, and cautiously peaked out from behind him. The bedroom was in a shabby state compared to the glorious days long since pass. Sitting center was a canopied, queen-sized bed. It was cupped into place by two end tables, with lighting placed on the wall above them. Parallel to the bed stood a large, wooden wardrobe, equipped with an ancient television set. Next to the bureau, a dim window filtered a foggy, purplish light down on a desk. Back when the hotel was still functional, the room would of would of reflected the elegance of the establishment. Now under a thick layer of dust, the room only held tattered sheets and rotting wooden equipment.

Alli turned, and on her left was a wall switch that activated the ceiling light above. To her right was a doorway that probably lead into a water closet. The blazing light from the hallway illuminated the room with assistance from the murky-purple light that oozed in from the window. What had halted Codi in his advancement was the presents of four more glowing fire balls. The light reflecting off of them helped expose the room even more so. The flickering flames danced about the old bedroom, intertwining with each other in a bizarre ritual. Alli's eyes grew wide as she found herself again entranced. Stepping out from behind Codi, she joined the fireballs in their little game. Codi reached out for his trainer, but just missed her shoulder. When she joined the fireballs, he stood back in fear, and refused to approached.

"Psst, Little Bun," he whispered out desperately. Alli did not response, and continued to prance about with the glowing blue lights. Codi followed them about the room, while retaining some distance in a pathetic attempt to get his trainer's attention. "How about some help, Plu?" Pluto took a quick glance at his trainer, and as he did not find her in any danger, looked away. "Pluto!" Pluto was not listening, but was instead down on all fours, sniffing about the room. Codi looked from him to Alli in an exasperated motion. Pluto paid no heed, and instead continued to follow the scent trail as it lead him under the bed. There was a loud shriek, followed by a scuffling sound and Pluto reemerged entangled with another Pokemon. This attracted Alli's attention for a fleeting moment as she and Codi remained fixated on the brawl as the two Pokemon broke free of one another. The culprit was a red fox Pokemon, who stood offensively, ready for battle. Alli barely had enough time to fish her Pokedex out of her pocket.

Vulpix. The Fox Pokemon. Fire Type.

"Pluto! Try using fake out on it!" Alli shoved her Pokedex back into her overalls as another blue orb floated pass her head, grabbing her attention. She began to again follow it wordlessly. Pluto turned towards Codi, and pointed to their trainer.

"Oh, no way! I'm not going to-" Pluto was in no state to argue, and twisted around while remaining locked on the Vulpix. The fox Pokemon spread out its tails aggressively. Codi grumbled as he scooted over towards Alli. She was completely enveloped by the glowing orbs, which covered her like a shield. The strange dance they were commenced in made her even more difficult to catch. Assuming that covering her eyes would somehow break the spell, Codi attempted to reach in while avoiding the fireballs. "If I get burned from this, you're never going to hear the end of it," whimpered Codi as he reached in to cover his trainer's face.

Pluto and the Vulpix continued to stair each other down, as Pluto dived towards it in a fake out attack.

Welcome to Blaze, Celebii, and Ex-Admiral Insane. I hope you enjoy your time here in Phantom Isle.

~!~

Ex-Admiral Insane:
Having had your brave front torn down by your starter, the two of you make your way to the memorial wall set at the Sideshow Alley in order to pay your respects and, hopefully, for safe passage. Thankfully, nothing decides to accost you on the way to the location, though you’re not quite sure whether that’s a good thing or a bad one. Your Ralts is terrified, though; not only is he feeling your fear, along with his own, he’s also feeling the fear and terror that hovers over the park like a fog, one of the many remnants of the Ghost Train accident. Not to mention that of the trainers, construction workers, security guards, and trespassers who had all disappeared or died here under mysterious circumstances.

When you arrive at the memorial wall, though, most of the terror and fear seem to dissipate, letting your Ralts regain control of himself and stop his violent shaking. Perhaps the children the wall is dedicated to have come to protect this place from the rest of the spirits and Ghost-types that make their home here. Whatever the case, you set the flowers down in front of the wall and sit down, wondering how long you should stay to ensure a safe trip while you’re here.

Time passes and still you remain there, waiting for a sign—maybe?—that would tell you that you’ve stayed long enough to be safe in the park. But after examining all the photos along the wall and making up stories and backgrounds for some of them, you eventually end up accidentally drifting off to sleep, the lack of anything to do while you wait finally getting to you. As the darkness descends, the last thing you hear is Rags’ panicked voice calling your name and shaking you.

-------

Blearily, you open your eyes and they shoot open at the sight of another two pairs of eyes looking at you from way-too-close. Scrambling backwards with a surprised yell, you catch your breath and stare at the two translucent children untangling themselves from where they’d fallen in surprise when you yelled. As they right themselves, it quickly becomes obvious that the two are identical twins. They’re even dressed the same and make the same expression as they frown at each other, before turning to speak to you.

We found you asleep at the picture wall, one says.

We were hoping you’d play a game with us, says the other.

It’s very boring here.

There’s no one who’ll play with us anymore.

Except the Dusknoir.

The others have already won, anyway.

Will you play with us?

Both children look eagerly up at you, pleading with you to play with them. You notice they haven’t explained how to play yet nor what the game is and glance uneasily around the tent. It’s then that you realize that Rags is nowhere to be found.

What will you do?

As Lucas stares at the wall waiting, he notices that his eyelids have started becoming heavy. He closes them for a moment.
“Ru!” the Ralts shouts, waking his trainer up.
“I’m just resting my eyes a bit. No need to worry.” The Ralts still looks worried at his trainer. The trainer ignores it and stares at the wall again. He looks at the pictures of the children again and starts looking for details. One girl had earrings in. A bit young for her age. Perhaps she had lenient parents. The earrings would mean that girl was more mature than others her age. He gave a stiff yawn and continued looking. He gazed at a picture of one of the boys this time. He was a bit more dirty and had scruffy hair underneath a cap which had seen better days. The cap was maybe placed to hide his dirty appearance? His family was probably not that wealthy. It must have been a special occasion for him to have come to an amusement park. Lucas started feeling depressed when thinking of the happiness a family was giving their child only to see it destroyed like that in front of them. He didn’t want to think that way and started looking at the girl’s picture again. A more happy story.

Lucas couldn’t hold himself back any more. He shut his eyes again, but this time he couldn’t open them any more. It was like they were glued, they seemed to weigh a ton.
“RU!” Rags was giving another yelp to wake his trainer up, but it didn’t work.
“It’s okay Rags, I’m just going to rest a bit” Lucas said as he fell, lying on his back. The words came out of his mouth as a mumble, inaudible to his Pokémon. Lucas finally closed his eyes completely before falling into a deep sleep, hearing Rags panicking and shaking him. It’s fine Rags, we’re just going to rest a bit, he kept telling himself. We’re just going to rest a bit.

When the young man finally opened his eyes, he noticed four other eyes glaring at him. The trainer gave out a yelp and eased back as he noticed two little identical-looking girls. Though girls isn’t what he would call him. They were translucent and Lucas was staring in shock as he could gaze right through them. The two spectres turn towards him and spoke:

We found you asleep at the picture wall, one says.

We were hoping you’d play a game with us, says the other.

It’s very boring here.

There’s no one who’ll play with us anymore.

Except the Dusknoir.

The others have already won, anyway.

Will you play with us?

Lucas was panicking now. As adventurous as he had sounded before, he didn’t really expect to see any ghosts. Perhaps a ghost type Pokémon, but even that is something you can battle. Rags couldn’t possibly battle this, he thought to himself. That’s when Lucas started looking around for Rags. That’s when he noticed how alone he currently was. Rags was missing!
The trainer gulped as he looked back at the two girls in front of him. Thoughts were racing through his head trying to figure out what happened. Was I hypnotized? Did they kidnap Rags? Do they mean harm, what game do they want to play, why are they here, what do I need to do, where is Rags, why did we come here!?
He started panicking, almost hyperventilating. I need to calm myself down, he thought. A cigarette might help. He reached for his jacket pocket but froze halfway.

You can’t smoke now, there are children here!Oh right, he thought himself.

Lucas seemed to be going mad as he continued talking to himself in his head:

But they’re ghosts!
Even so, you shouldn’t.
What do you suggest.
The same as you.
What?
I'm you! Stop talking to yourself!
I can’t believe I’m talking to myself now.
Me neither.
Shut up!
Shut up!

He was gasping for breath now.

We need to calm down now!

No! he told himself. I need to calm down. If Rags was still close by, he would be panicking as well because of his trainer’s feelings. He needed to relax for the sake of him and his Pokémon. He closed his eyes and started breathing in slowly before letting out a long exhale. He continued doing this for a while until he calmed down. He opened his eyes again. How much time has passed since he woke? 10 seconds? 15 seconds? Time was going slow compared to his rapid thinking. He needed to say something quickly, but he still needed more time to think clearly.

“Huh?” He finally said, faking drowsiness. “Could you wait a moment, I only just woke up. Give me a few minutes.”That’ll probably work in giving me a few more seconds. Now what was it they said? They wanted to play a game. They also mentioned Dusknoir.
He realized he had that word before somewhere. It was a Pokémon, but he couldn’t remember why it was so special any more. The trainer took out his Pokédex and started looking up information on the Dusknoir species.

Originally Posted by Pokédex

Dusknoir, the Gripper Pokémon. It receives electrical waves from the spirit world with its antenna and is said to take people to the spirit world as well.

That was probably a hint. Maybe the Dusknoir is looking for them to take them to the spirit world. But he knew he couldn’t jump to conclusions yet. Right now he needed to find Rags and the two girls in front of him were in the way.That’s it! he thought. Though they’re ghosts, they are still two little girls who just want to play a game. Realizing this, he grinned to himself. Maybe he could use that fact to his advantage and manipulate them.
He stood up while pretending to still shake off his drowsiness. He looked at them weary, hiding his fear, and finally spoke, choosing his words carefully. “Actually, me and my friend Rags were going to look around at the park and maybe do some battling here and there. But I guess we could play one little game. I’m sure Rags would like to join as well. Have you two maybe seen him? He’s a little Pokémon about this high.” Holding his hand above the ground, hoping he could find out more. Lucas swallowed once more and bit his lips.

Son_of_Shadows:Ehehe, hope you don't mind how long it ended up being. It kinda got away from me...^^;

At your response, Angela visibly sags in relief, leaning against one of the walls of the tent as James looks to be struggling against a spark of hope. We aren’t entirely sure how to get rid of him, but some of the trainers trapped here should have an idea, Angela says, relief still evident in her voice as she slides down the wall to sit on the floor. There’s a few we got to right after He got to them, but I think they were also trying to get rid of Him, too. She looks questioningly at James.

Tyler’s actually on his way, he tells her, moving to look out of the tent. One of the others must have seen you two coming by and mentioned it to everyone else. He and one or two of them were probably interested to see how we actually got to a live one before He did. He turns back to you. Tyler’s one of the trainers we got to only after He and the Little Ones did. I think he came by to pay his respects, too, but they went after him. He was able to get away, though, thanks to his Sableye, but they eventually got the drop on him. James shakes his head. We hadn’t really started gathering together yet, so it took us a while to find him and, by that time, he’d already found several other trainers who’d fallen victim to the Little Ones. He’d have a better idea who would actually know something that could help.

Yup, and I brought one of them with me, comes a new voice as its owner ducks into the tent with another ghost. Like James, these two have no indication of how they died and would have looked perfectly normal if they hadn’t been translucent. The first one, most likely Tyler by his first sentence, has the air of a stereotypical Pokémon trainer, though his outfit certainly helps foster the stereotype. He also seems rather light-hearted and up-beat for someone who’s dead. The second one looks considerably older than James, Angela, and Tyler, maybe in his late teens where Tyler was maybe thirteen and Angela and James looked closer to nine or ten. He also seemed slightly more unapproachable than the previous three, as he quickly picks the back corner of the tent and leans against it. Hey, James, Angela, living-person-who’s-hopefully-helping-us. I dunno if you’ve met before, but that’s Sam. He motions to the guy in the back. As far as I know, he’s the closest one to actually bringing the Leader down, but he did that ages ago, so I dunno if things’ve changed. Tyler shrugs lightly. Still, figured he might be able to help. So, would someone like to tell us what happened?

-------

Once the new arrivals were caught up, conversation moves to defeating the Leader and attention turns to Sam, who reluctantly goes to sit in the circle that had been formed during the explanation.

From what I remember, the Little Ones like to keep close to the Memorial Wall, but, once the Leader gives them orders, they follow without question. We’ve been lucky so far; they haven’t found us yet, but they will soon.

We saw them on our way here, Tyler pipes up. They were just past that trio of Kiddie Arenas. James and Angela exchange nervous looks, before turning to watch the tent’s entrance.

Sam continues, ignoring the interruption. Interestingly enough, I found that the Leader doesn’t seem to share their clinginess as he had no problem chasing after me himself and barely hesitated once we left the Sideshow Alley. He pauses briefly, staring out at the tent’s entrance as though listening for something before he speaks again. Anyway, there seems to be something of particular value to the Leader in the Ghost Kiddie Arena, although that is a rather obvious place to hide something. However, I’ve had a gut feeling about the House of Mirrors for a while. I dunno what’s there or why that particular place, but something’s telling me that place is important. He glances at the tent’s entrance again, even as the other three ghosts begin getting up and peeking out, and hands you two Pokeballs. I was able to grab these two before I had to leave my body behind. I expect them back. And with that, he and Tyler slip out of the tent and hurry away, Tyler waving cheerfully back at you three.

Angela turns back to you as James continues to scan the surrounding tents, but the two ghosts are visibly tense. You’ve got to go now, she whispers, glancing at James. The Little Ones are almost here and we’ve got to get going before they arrive. If you head to the back of this tent, there’s a path that’ll take you to the House of Mirrors or the Ghost Kiddie Arena. Just follow the white letters. She moves to the front of the tent and both she and James disappear into the maze of tents, too.

What will you do?

~!~

Allishinca:
Pluto begins the battle by diving forward and Faking Out his opponent by feinting left, then right, before hitting the Vulpix, who Flinches back in surprise. The little fox takes a moment to recover and, as Pluto has no further orders, proceeds to make its own attack. One of the four floating Will-o-Wisps suddenly breaks off from the group and zooms over towards Pluto who dodges it with plenty of room to spare. However, while his attention was focused on the ball of fire, the Vulpix fades away until only a Faint shadow remains and leaps to Attack him, sending Pluto into the wall and making the room shudder.

Meanwhile, Codi makes his attempt to break his trainer out of her trance and, with one less fireball to worry about, it’s looking a little bit easier. Still, he doesn’t quite make it through the first time, receiving a Burn from the supernatural fire for his troubles. The second time, he spots an opening and dives for it, but the will-o-the-wisps quickly pass by and he snatches his hands back for fear of another Burn. Third time’s the charm and he covers your eyes, immediately making those captivating little lights disappear from your sight. It takes you a moment to remember what’s going on, but you quickly remember that Pluto is battling a Vulpix, not even twenty feet away from you; you can hear the two exchanging insults, even as something makes the room shudder.

What will you do?

~!~

Ex-Admiral Insane:
The two little girls eagerly nodded at your request to wait, still obviously hoping you’d play their game with them. They wait patiently as you calm yourself down and stare curiously at your Pokedex when you pull it out. Still, they can’t help wiggling a little as they wait, watching you think and ‘shake off your drowsiness.’

At your question, the two children furrow their brows, trying to remember whether they’d seen a little Pokémon recently. They look at each other and seem to have a quick conversation, the way twins were frequently said to be able to do, but the longer you wait, the less it seems they have. Until the twin on the left lights up, like a child with the right answer.

Mhm. I remember seeing a little Pokémon, but it was hiding. I think it got scared when Ty came back from chasing someone else away from the picture wall, she says.

The other twin shivers. Ty’s scary when he’s angry and he was angry when he came back. I don’t think he caught the person who was at the picture wall earlier. She then perks up. D’you want us to help you find your Pokémon?

The first twin perks up, too. Yeah, we can help you find him. And then both of you can play with us.

It’s obvious that these two must have been very young when they died to still want to play games and such. They also don’t quite seem to be aware that they’re dead, either, as they’re both still acting the way you suspect they had been when they were alive. At least they’re willing to help.

Ex-Admiral Insane:
The two little girls eagerly nodded at your request to wait, still obviously hoping you’d play their game with them. They wait patiently as you calm yourself down and stare curiously at your Pokedex when you pull it out. Still, they can’t help wiggling a little as they wait, watching you think and ‘shake off your drowsiness.’

At your question, the two children furrow their brows, trying to remember whether they’d seen a little Pokémon recently. They look at each other and seem to have a quick conversation, the way twins were frequently said to be able to do, but the longer you wait, the less it seems they have. Until the twin on the left lights up, like a child with the right answer.

Mhm. I remember seeing a little Pokémon, but it was hiding. I think it got scared when Ty came back from chasing someone else away from the picture wall, she says.

The other twin shivers. Ty’s scary when he’s angry and he was angry when he came back. I don’t think he caught the person who was at the picture wall earlier. She then perks up. D’you want us to help you find your Pokémon?

The first twin perks up, too. Yeah, we can help you find him. And then both of you can play with us.

It’s obvious that these two must have been very young when they died to still want to play games and such. They also don’t quite seem to be aware that they’re dead, either, as they’re both still acting the way you suspect they had been when they were alive. At least they’re willing to help.

What will you do?

"That would be great. Once we found Rags, we can play a game." Lucas was actually getting worried.

He started heading towards props and scenery searching for any places Rags could be hiding, while still making sure he was within earshot of the twins. "He couldn't have gone too far I think, so he's probably still around here somewhere." He was pretending not to be worried or scared, acting like it was all a game. Truth was, he needed to find his pokémon quick so he could move on and get as far away from here as he could. To do that, they needed to actually look quickly. "Hey, how about we turn this into a little game? The first one to find my Ralts and bring him back safely gets to choose the next game we play?" A little incentive to actually find Rags, he thought. I'm sure they'll put more effort if there's something to win.

The young man needed to know more about what was happening. To him it seemed like more and more pawns were in play. He started summing up what he knew: There's me, Rags who is missing, these twin ghosts, a Dusknoir, someone named Ty and a guy that Ty scared away. It was getting harder and harder for him to discern who had good intentions and who didn't. So far, of all the people involved, the two girls seemed to be helpful and showed no signs of plotting something against him. In fact, to Lucas, it didn't even seem that they knew they were dead. They really are two girls who want to play a game, he convinced himself. How long have they been wandering this place? They must have realized something about being dead? Whatever was going to happen, Lucas did not want to be the one who was going to tell them they were dead. It's better if I don't tell them this bad news. They are still little girls and they may not be able to handle a truth like that His plan was to eventually lead them to a Dusknoir if he couldn't shake them off. It would probably take them off my hands. He started feeling a bit more relaxed from thinking of how to escape the two if things started to get rotten.

But he still needed to know more about Ty and whether he was friendly. It sounded like this Ty was possibly malicious and might have hurt Rags. He continued searching the place while asking the two girls. "So who's this Ty that's so scary?" he asked nonchalantly. "Is he mean? Why would he chase somebody away?"

While hoping to get answers, he started thinking about their predicament as well. They were two girls who died, haven't realize it yet and have been wandering aimlessly in this theme park for, quite possibly, a few years already. Lucas felt bad for manipulating them into helping him while planning to get rid of them later. He was considering actually playing a game with them.

Looking back at the two to see if they were searching as well, he listened to whether they were answering his questions. All the while thinking to himself;

I guess one game wouldn't be so bad as a thank you. What's the worst that could happen?

---

Edit: Oh wow, I only just realized that Sons_of_Shadows/Joshua was the one being chased away. Took me long enough. I find it funny to notice there was another "smoker" before me who had the same plan to pay their respects to the dead.

Allishinca:
Pluto begins the battle by diving forward and Faking Out his opponent by feinting left, then right, before hitting the Vulpix, who Flinches back in surprise. The little fox takes a moment to recover and, as Pluto has no further orders, proceeds to make its own attack. One of the four floating Will-o-Wisps suddenly breaks off from the group and zooms over towards Pluto who dodges it with plenty of room to spare. However, while his attention was focused on the ball of fire, the Vulpix fades away until only a Faint shadow remains and leaps to Attack him, sending Pluto into the wall and making the room shudder.

Meanwhile, Codi makes his attempt to break his trainer out of her trance and, with one less fireball to worry about, it’s looking a little bit easier. Still, he doesn’t quite make it through the first time, receiving a Burn from the supernatural fire for his troubles. The second time, he spots an opening and dives for it, but the will-o-the-wisps quickly pass by and he snatches his hands back for fear of another Burn. Third time’s the charm and he covers your eyes, immediately making those captivating little lights disappear from your sight. It takes you a moment to remember what’s going on, but you quickly remember that Pluto is battling a Vulpix, not even twenty feet away from you; you can hear the two exchanging insults, even as something makes the room shudder.

What will you do?

Pluto knocked the Vulpix back with a Fake Out move, buying Codi some time to rescue Alli, who remained enthralled with the glowing blue lights. The Vulpix was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered and dived back into the fight. One of the glowing Will-O-Wisps dancing with Alli sudden swerved and lunged at Pluto, who easily dodged it. Turning towards his opponent, Pluto found that the Vulpix had disappeared into the shadows. Before Pluto could locate it, the fox Pokemon tackled him with a Faint Attack, shoving Pluto right into the wall. The violent collision made the whole room shutter.

Codi noticed the room shaking only for a moment before redirection his attention to his diminutive trainer. While she remained in motion with the fireballs, there was only three now, making the whole situation slightly less worrisome. Codi got arrogant with the whole endeavor, and in attempting to cover his trainer's eyes, swiftly received a burn on the back of his hand. He pulled back howling, and shook his paw in order to reduce the pain. Alli continued on with her dance, and Codi allowed some space to develop between them before regaining himself. He turned quickly towards Pluto to ensure that he did not witness that whole display, and then approached his trainer. Seeing another opening, the Lopunny dived in for it. A cheeky fireballs swooped down by his hand, causing Codi to recoil it in fear. Inhaling deeply, Codi mustered all his courage and reached for his trainer. This time he was successful, as a sudden blackness fell over Alli's sight. He pulled his trainer back away from the glowing lights until they were up against a wall.

Alli became aware of her surroundings slowly, like a fog was lifting. She reached up to learn what was covering her eyes, and unfortunately, touched Codi's burned hand. "Ow, watch it!" Codi brought his hands farther around Alli's head, so that it was now his arms covering her face. "My burn there is so bad that I'm probably not going to make it, you know."

"Codi? What are you doing?"
Suddenly Alli recalled the battle between Pluto
and the red fox Pokemon. "Pluto! Is he okay?"

"He's fine! Call attacks already!"

"I can't do that! Not without seeing!"

"Well we don't have a choice!
Call out a move!" Alli was oddly silent.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know them. Pluto's attack.
I mean, not all of them."

"What do you mean you don't know them?!"

"I usually look them up on the Pokedex.
Besides, Pluto's been keeping up with his training
and had learned a lot of new moves recently, unlike-"

"Yes, yes. I know, I know!"
Codi sighed. "Call what you know, then."

"...Did I already use fake out?"

"Is that the only one you bothered to memorize?" There was a long pause between them as Alli went over Pluto's moves as best she could in her head. She found she could recall at least six of them, including fake out. One was a new move she did not want to use, and another would be useful if the battle went downhill. For now, she called the remaining three moves out:

"Pluto! Hit it with Shadow Sneak, and then lower its defenses with Leer!" Pluto's ears popped up at the call of his trainer. "Then give it a good Poison Jab!" Alli shadow boxed the air as Codi continued to keep her head tightly wrapped up in his arms.

As Pluto prepared himself to go back on offense, the whole room gave an ominous shuttered.

FlashFusion/Celebii151:
You arrive at the Haunted Theme Park with you Eevee cowering close to you, frightened by the atmosphere surrounding the park. Perhaps he could sense something beyond what you could and was responding to that, but the appearance of your Hoothoot and your giving him the choice of where to go seems to have distracted him for the moment.

Upon deciding to head to the Ghost Train, the three of you go up to a map pinned on a board and attempt to puzzle out how to get to the attraction, to no avail. Instead, you ask Soren to search for the train with a Foresight and he agrees, shooting straight up, as high as he could go. From his vantage point, he easily spots the train, but is momentarily distracted by the other things he notices across the park.

Near the Helter-Skelter, a Sableye and Mismagius hover over an unconscious trainer wearing a black jacket. On the other side, a trainer with a Kingler, a Murkrow, and a shiny Nidoran♀ faces off with a Mightyena. At the entrance to the park, another trainer had entered and is currently heading towards the Sideshow Alley with a handful of flowers and a terrified-looking Ralts clinging to his leg. In the midst of the tents, a giant glob of a ghost melts and separates back into many young children, all carrying the marks of their death, as another child directs them to search the surrounding tents, stands, and attractions. And, above all, there are ghostly figures and Ghost-types everywhere he looked. Trainers walking and talking to their partners, parents chasing after children and chatting with each other as teens and kids run everywhere, looking like they’re having the time of their life. Gastly and Shuppet and Duskull and Misdreavus, all scattered in rather large numbers around the park.

Spotting a Misdreavus and Gastly looking particularly excited and moving in your direction, Soren hurriedly returns to you and begins to lead you to the Ghost Train, making sure to avoid as many of the things he saw as possible. Though he can’t directly tell you what he saw up there, you can tell that he’s now unnerved and very tense; he’s constantly looking around, scanning both sides of the path as he leads you to your destination.

Once you arrive at the attraction, Soren lands on your shoulder and you can feel him vibrating like a taut string, as he scans your surroundings once again. You, however, are examining the Ghost Train, taking in the burnt pieces and charred sides, the broken windows and unstable floor. It almost seems to give off a feeling of horror, terror, and grief and those emotions were beginning to worm their way into your heart when Soren draws your attention to an approaching, possibly familiar, trainer. The newcomer has a Geodude and Yanmega traveling with him, and he seems to have gotten on the bad side of something as there’s blood on his neck. However, it looks like he’s here to investigate the Ghost Train, too.

What will you do?

Thanks for taking me Myahoo, and Blaze and I have decided to do a joint adventure.

As Soren descends from his lookout point, Cele notices that he looks much more shaken than he did when he went up. "Whoa, if this place is enough to frighten Soren, then I don't think it was such a good idea coming here." Cele thinks to himself, not wanting to let his Pokemon see him scared. Soren leads the way to the Ghost Train, helping Cele and Shade avoid as many of the frightening things he had seen as possible, including the Ghost Pokemon and Trainers in terrible situations, like being surrounded by Pokemon or facing off against a wild one.

After they reach the Ghost Train, Cele spots a familiar face. It was Blaze, alongside a Geodude and Yanmega, who Cele assumes to be his Pokemon. What Cele is concerned about, however, is the blood on Blaze’s neck. “Hey Blaze!” Cele calls out as he runs towards the aforementioned. Cele grabs his custom silver and blue Pokedex and scans the Pokemon, the Rock-Type first. The devices comes to life. “Geodude, the Rock Pokémon . At rest, it looks just like a rock. Carelessly stepping on it will make it swing its fists angrily.” Cele then turns to the dragonfly lookalike. “Yanmega, the Ogre Darner Pokémon. It prefers to battle by biting apart foes' heads instantly while flying by at high speed.” “So a Geodude and Yanmega, huh?” Cele asks. “Oh yeah, Blaze what happened to your neck, it’s drenched in blood. Do you need treatment? My Wartortle knows Heal Pulse.” He continues. Asking another question before he gets the answers to the first ones, he speaks up again. “So, you’re here to explore the Ghost Train too?”

kaisap112/tau - After communicating his feelings to Quinn through a series of glances, Nook darts off in the direction of his glittering desires, which have been tarnished with thoughts of revenge. Quinn entrusts Banzai with the task of following Nook wherever he may go and looking out for the little Zigzagoon. Kitty also shows some interest in following the boys, but after images of the little Skitty finding herself lost and alone in this ominous landscape flash through Noriko's mind, the female trainer quickly ensures that her pink kitten is safe and sound and adequately prevented from running off. Quinn and Noriko both decide to chase after the pair, but not before Noriko makes a joke about knowing the perfect gift to get Nook for Christmas... perhaps a Team Pocket themed leash was in order!

Though the pair of trainers are fairly quick in deciding to follow after Nook and Banzai, they soon find themselves trailing behind Quinn's energetic Pokemon as they dart around Salty Sam's ominous-looking ship... Despite being wrought out of plastic and metal and being about as authentic as the depiction of Salty Sam himself, in the ride's current state of utter disrepair, it almost looks like a real beached shipwreck under the pale moonlight. Eventually, the pair race so far ahead of the trainers that Quinn and Noriko momentarily lose sight of them. A wash of panic comes over both trainers, particularly Quinn, as they both try to figure out where to turn... fortunately, the call of Quinn's Zigzagoon alerts them to the furry creature's presence, and the two dart after him, who sounds as if he has snuck behind the ship.

Noriko and Quinn sprint behind the ship, only to stop dead in their tracks to find Nook happily eating an Oran Berry beside a floating pirate coat, hat, pants and boots, all of which look surprisingly realistic for such a gimmicky attraction, right down to the polished buckles. The coat moves about as if somebody is inside, though if there is indeed a body holding up this strange ensemble, it is completely invisible to Noriko and Quinn. On the shoulder of the "pirate" is a familiar looking Murkrow, who squawks contentedly as one of the coat sleeves floats up to pat the bird on the head, while the other provides her with a small, glittering trinket to appease her love of shinies. Underneath the Zigzagoon's paws is the coin that the little creature had seen earlier, which he seems to be guarding. Banzai seems a little less pleased than Nook to find himself in the presence of such odd company, and he growls warily at the apparation before him, not quite sure whether or not he can trust what he sees before him. A loud, jovial laugh echoes from the chest of the floating coat, filling the night air with its warmth.

"Oh, not th'coin, my lass... The coin's a piece o'rubbish. Not even real gold. No, I'm talkin' about those obsidian eyes y'found me, shining in the darkness... Those gems'll find us some real treasure, hmm? Ohh, they glisten like black gold, don't they, now?" The pirate hat turns in the direction of the Zigzagoon, who is surprisingly unafraid of the pirate spectre. "A fine little ruffian this one is, though he's got that gleam in his eye... You know the one, 'ay Charity?"

Charity looks... less than convinced. Even so, the pirate's laughter continues to fill the air.

"Will y'be comin' with me then, y'little scallywag? I could use a creature like you t'sniff out somethin' special..." The floating coat extends a sleeve towards Nook in invitation. It seems as if the pirate has not noticed Noriko or Quinn yet.

How will the trainers react?

Running after Nook and Banzai, Noriko and Quinn ventured deeper into the ship. Constantly trying to remind herself that it wasn’t an actual ghost ship, but purely made of metal, plastic and other undoubtedly modern materials, Noriko sprinted along. Suddenly, both trainers lost sight of the excited Pokémon; had they gone in even deeper? The trainers promptly panicked – who knew what was lurking in there? “Let’s find them and get out, okay Quinn?” Noriko pulled on Quinn’s sleeve, fully aware who she was ready to blame for any ensuing trouble. The young man did something similar to a nod, but rushed on ahead right after.

Noriko shivered. The pale moonlight didn’t make the place any less creepy – and she was the type that liked moonlight under normal circumstances. First on the agenda was getting the two rascals of Pokémon, then they could all go out and have a cup of tea. Kitty, on the other hand, wasn’t intimidated in the least; instead more than eager to search the realistic shipwreck by herself. “Don’t you dare. You disappear and I’m leaving you here,” muttered the young woman to her partner. The feline meowed happily in response. The duo took off after their friends – with the sound of a Zigzagoon happily calling for his trainer leading them.

Ducking behind the ship where the sound was coming from, Noriko and Quinn screeched into a halt. Nook was absolutely fine, from the looks of it: he was stuffing his face with an Oran Berry, oblivious to the worry he had caused. Just as Noriko was about to unleash a powerful complaint attack at him, she noticed something…rather peculiar. A coat. Floating. In the air. There were also boots, and a hat, and-

Ooh boy.

“Uh, Quinn, correct me if I’m wrong, but is that a floating coat?” Noriko eyed the Murkrow perched on the shoulder of the coat. It was the one from before! One of the sleeves of the coat patted the Murkrow on the head, the bird crowing happily. The other sleeve went inside the coat, and then came out with a shiny trinket. The Murkrow snatched it in her beak happily – oddly satisfied with what looked like a keychain to Noriko. Nook was protectively holding the coin he was chasing under his paws, not worried in the slightest about the floating coat, while Banzai, in all his felineness, hissed at the apparition with his fur fluffed. Noriko was glad at least one Pokémon in Quinn’s team knew better. She jumped at the loud laugh that suddenly echoed in the room. It gave her even worse shivers and seemed to be coming from the chest area of the coat.

"AHAHAHA~! Oh, Charity, me girl, seems as if y'found me quite a bit o'treasure here..." Noriko and the Murkrow cocked their heads in confusion at the same time. The coat talks. Splendid. And it has a sense of irony. The thought had just crossed Noriko’s mind when the coat continued.

"Oh, not th'coin, my lass... The coin's a piece o'rubbish. Not even real gold. No, I'm talkin' about those obsidian eyes y'found me, shining in the darkness... Those gems'll find us some real treasure, hmm? Ohh, they glisten like black gold, don't they, now?" Noriko realized that if this thing was anything, it was a pirate ghost. Nook didn’t seem scared, gazing curiously at the ghost. "A fine little ruffian this one is, though he's got that gleam in his eye... You know the one, 'ay Charity?"

Noriko couldn’t think of a gleam of any other kind than the one signaling Nook’s potential case of ADD, but apparently the ghost had something else in mind. Worried, Noriko poked Quinn, who had been awfully quiet this whole time. What was up with him? The pirate ghost continued to laugh, though his Murkrow didn’t look nearly as confident about Nook’s capabilities. "Will y'be comin' with me then, y'little scallywag? I could use a creature like you t'sniff out somethin' special..." The coat extended a sleeve in Nook’s direction. Not confident at all that Quinn would do anything about this on his own, Noriko, against her better judgment, stepped forward. Had the ghost even noticed their presence? She didn’t have the time to think about that; the coat was trying to convert Nook to his side!

“Hey, you! Coat…thing! Leave the Zigzagoon alone, he’s already got a trainer and we were just on our way out. Come on Nook, let’s go!” Kitty started hollering to emphasize her trainer’s words. She wasn’t going to let her new friend run off with some evil ghost! Noriko glanced over at Quinn, who still wasn’t doing anything. “Quinn, come get your friend! What’s wrong with you?”

Despite the lack of human activity in the park during its closure, it seems those from the realm of the dead are quite active in these parts. All of the popular rides remain the same as they were prior to the ghost train event, but over time they seem to have become populated by very unsavoury characters in the form of spectres, poltergeists, and even some of the more mischievous Pokémon who want to manipulate anyone brave enough to enter such a place. If you dare to venture here, you'd best have your wits about you.

Areas:The Big Wheel: Seems like any old wheel ride, but on a much greater scale. Each carriage can easily hold ten people and the top of the wheel is so high that it cannot be seen from the ground due to it being shrouded in the bizarre violet fog. Recently, there have been rumours of it speeding up, its riders lost, but where?

"Steady Shamu!"

Wes scrambled up the rubbery surface of the Wailmer’s back, one arm fastened around the Pokémon’s top lip like a fish hook and the other wrapped around a cardboard box that he didn’t fancy losing to the rough sea. The whale let out a low groan as Wes steadied himself back onto his crown. After all, it wasn’t his fault the tide had changed so abruptly. The trainer realised this, rubbing Shamu’s hump appraisingly as he battled the vicious surf. Wes’s grip on the box tightened as the turbulent waters tried doggedly to buck him overboard, he had to keep it safe no matter what. Squinting ahead he spotted a dark horizon panning into focus – distant rollercoaster tracks like snakes atop of a nest of eerie gates and black rock... Phantom Isle. “Land Ho!” Wes winced as a spray of foam obscured his view, the salty tang shooting up his nose as he coughed and spluttered. Eyes welling up with the sting of seasalt, he instinctively fixed his attention to the cardboard box, dripping wet but still in good shape. A few whimpers rattled from the holes on its top, the kid attempting to hush the cries as they drew toward their destination.

“Great job my friend”, Wes smiled as they docked. Lobbing a handful of Remoraid fritters into the whale’s gullet, the trainer tapped his nose with a Dive Ball before returning to his box, “Don’t worry pups, this fairground is gunna be teaming with kids to adopt you all...” Wes pulled up the hood of his green parka jacket as he strolled through the swinging gates of the deserted theme park, the tails of the coat billowing in the breeze. There was a strange mist carpeting the Island, the trainer could see his own breath as he rubbed his hands together idly. As minutes passed with nothing but the sound of his own footsteps, Wes started to grow suspicious. Something wasn’t right – he was alone. Raising a brow in caution the kid looked over both shoulders, the busy fairground he’d expected turning out to be a ghost town.

“I guess that’s what you get for coming out of season”, he said with a weak laugh, “It’s still early hours. I’m sure it’ll pick up soon. How about I wake you guys up for your morning exercise?” Half interested in walking the Eevee litter, half interested in quelling his isolation-driven paranoia, Wes placed the cardboard box on the footpath and gently removed its top. Morning light broke into the makeshift nest, the sawdust padding still damp from the rocky ride in. The Eevee pups were snuggled together like tan balls of cotton, their fur rising and falling as they snoozed nonchalantly. The morning sun was quick to stir their activity with Katniss, the liveliest pup, vaulting to her feet - sticking a paw in Gale’s face in an effort to rouse him. The pups, brought together by their thrill for adventure, were quickly scratting at the side of the box with their combined yowling waking the rest of the litter up. Haymitch was first to respond, yapping grumpily not having made his mind up on which to pounce on. Rue beamed at Wes, achieving a feat which her siblings couldn’t as she nimbly clambered out of the box and licked her master affectionately. Finnick didn’t seem interested in the others - just himself as he pawed down his morning quiff. Then there was Peeta, the runt of the litter. He looked on shyly at Katniss, not quite sure what to do with himself. Wes felt he could relate to this Eevee the most despite his best efforts not to grow too attached. The boy shrugged off these thoughts and started to plop the troop in a line, crossing his fingers as they started to stretch their legs...

“Stay close by everyone! Don’t eat anything you see on the floor! You can’t pee there!” Wes’s heart was pounding ten to the dozen, and in efforts to quickly rally the group together he set eyes on the nearest ride: The Big Wheel. Wes scooped the Eevee up in his arms and quickly set course, a sort of wicked smile painted on his face. The ride was even bigger up close; peaking into the dark miasma, which Wes was quick to shrug off as winter weather, with each gondola big enough to fit a crowd of tourists. As the carts slowly wheeled around the kid weighed up his options... The litter had been awful rowdy lately... Maybe it’d be best to separate them...

“I must be the worst trainer ever for doing this”, Wes muttered as he lined the pups up in single file, “I guess it’s fine if there’s nobody else around though...” he argued. Despite their age the Eevee didn’t need convincing, daring being a prominent gene in their pool. The same couldn’t be said for Peeta, the pup nuzzling against the hem of Wes’s jeans. “Don’t worry little guy, you can ride with me”, Wes itched the back of the Pokémon’s ear affectionately, facing the clanking ferris wheel and preparing to drop an Eevee off on each cart.

Thrain:
“That’s true; I certainly did make this place hard to find,” she giggles in response to your comment. “But then, I made sure only people who were determined and focused enough could arrive.” As you take a seat in the rickety chair, a bad feeling begins to pool in your gut, but Blaze jumping up to your lap distracts you from it and, as the fortune teller speaks again, you push away to think about later. “Now, Eric, I believe you said you wanted your fortune told?” she asks, glancing at you to catch your agreement, before she pulls out a crystal ball. “Perhaps it’s a bit cliché,” she admits when she notices you glance at it, “but it has been reliably giving me fortunes for as long as I can remember. Give me a moment.” She stares into the clear orb, resting her hands in a loose circle at its base, occasionally rubbing it every few moments as though to wipe smudges off its surface.

When she speaks again, her voice has deepened and her eyes have darkened until they’re almost black. “Difficulties and treasures; a winding, crisscrossing path; a bright, bright glow and a dark, dark shadow,” she says, never taking her eyes off the crystal ball. She doesn’t even seem to be aware of your presence anymore nor does she notice the way the flaps of her tent begin moving. She opens her mouth to speak again and a great whirling overtakes the tent, the lantern instantly going out. There is barely any light in the tent, but the whipping winds prevent you from seeing much, though their roaring doesn’t drown out the high-pitched scream that is quickly cut off.

After a few more moments of roaring and flapping and tossing, the winds disappear as quickly as they came and the lantern lights back up unaided. The tent is now a mess, the crystal ball shattered on the floor and the table turned on its side. Debris litters the floor, but the biggest thing you notice is the lack of fortune teller’s presence. However, a piece of thick paper lies in your lap, between you and your Growlithe. Cautiously, you pick It up and unfold it, recognizing the writing as a list of seemingly-random instructions, the first of which says to head over to the Sideshow Alley. Could this be part of the fortune teller’s act or was it something else?

What will you do?

OoC: I apologize that it's taken me so long to reply to this. I'll be sure to reply a lot sooner in the future. ^^

"That’s true; I certainly did make this place hard to find. But then, I made sure only people who were determined and focused enough could arrive," the fortune teller said in response to Eric's comment. The woman had a sly glint in her eye, only worsening the sinking feeling within Eric's stomach. "Now, Eric, I believe you said you wanted your fortune told?" From the way she asked him to affirm his feelings on the matter, it seemed that she was sending a warning, in a way, as if she wasn't responsible for what would occur next. Red flags began to pop up within his head, but the lure of knowing his future was too much for him. "Yes, I'm sure," he said, absentmindedly stroking Blaze's fur. The Growlithe sensed Eric's unease, turning his head to lick his trainer's fingers.

Bending down, the mystic retrieved a pearly white crystal ball. The orb's exterior shimmered in the light, reflecting the tent's contents back to Eric all warped and twisted. He noticed a smile grow upon the face of the fortune teller's reflection. "It's a bit cliché, but it has been reliably giving me fortunes for as long as I can remember. Give me a moment." Eric watched as the mystic rubbed the base of the magical orb; as she looked into the depths of the ball with such an intense gaze... Suddenly, her face changed. Shadows seemed to cling to the contours of her cheekbones as her crystal-blue eyes darkened to an inky shade of black. Her white skin turned pale; it stretched taut above the bones of her face, giving her the appearance of a living skeleton. Her hands continued to hold the crystal in a vice-grip. Eric reeled back in shock, fright clear upon his face, as Blaze issued a bark of warning. A breeze began to blow through the tent as the woman opened her lips to speak. The voice that left the mystic's mouth was not the one she had spoken with previously; it was now strained and hoarse. "Difficulties and treasures; a winding, crisscrossing path; a bright, bright glow and a dark, dark shadow." The flaps of the tent rustled as the breeze flitting through the air turned into a fierce gale. No longer aware of Eric's presence, the fortune teller stared straight ahead, a shell of who she once was. Seconds later, the lantern lighting the shelter went out, and darkness overtook the tent. Eric yelled with fear laced through his voice. Another scream joined his own, and it could only be coming from one source: the woman. Eventually, the wind died down, along with the scream, until no sound could be heard in the tent aside from Blaze's whimpering. Suddenly, the doused lantern re-lit itself, causing both Eric and his Growlithe to jump. The mystic was gone.

The tent was in disarray. The table was overturned, patches of the canvas were frayed in places, distorting the pattern on the walls, and shards were all that remained of the crystal ball. And the fortune teller had disappeared. Her scream still rang in Eric's ears, chilling him to the bone. What could have happened here? he asked himself. Was it all magic? He had gotten what he wanted, but was it all worth it? "Difficulties and treasures; a winding, crisscrossing path; a bright, bright glow and a dark, dark shadow..."

Blaze's whimpers subsided as the initial shock and fear of the scene left the duo gradually. Turning around to face Eric, the Growlithe licked at his trainer's face. As he did so... *crinkle* *crinkle* The sound of rustling paper filled the air. Between Eric and Blaze lay a piece of parchment weathered with age. Yet another chill ran up his spine; the paper had not been there moments before. Blaze jumped off his lap as Eric picked up the paper and glanced at it closely. They were... instructions, the first of which told him visit Sideshow Alley. This must have something to do with the fortune teller's mysterious disappearance! But should he follow these directions after what he just experienced? Did he really want to involve himself in these spectral encounters?

"Yes, yes I can," Eric said aloud to himself, answering his own question. His curiosity was aroused, and a yearn for a hair-raising adventure reared its head within him. "C'mon, Blaze, off to Sideshow Alley we go."

The Growlithe looked up at Eric warily as he approached the tent's cloth door. The pup couldn't help but wonder if his trainer had lost his mind. Blaze finally sighed in exasperation before following Eric out into the night air. A full moon hung above the surrounding buildings and attractions, shining down upon everything in its gaze. A sign nearby pointed every which way, instructing passerby which path to take in order to arrive at the destination they desired. At the bottom of the list, in tiny, messy letters, "SIDESHOW ALLEY" was inscribed. It pointed right.

~~~

Fifteen minutes later, Eric and Blaze stood at the entrance of the infamous alley. Despite the moon's steady light, shadows still plagued the passageway's interior. Taking a deep breath, the duo entered under the darkness' watch...

Ex-Admiral Insane::)
Both little girls perk up when you mention turning this search into a game, sending you bright smiles as one tries to remember where she’d seen the Pokémon hiding. The other ends up poking around the same places you were looking, glancing at her twin to see whether the other recalled where they’d come across a Pokémon.

At your question, the one not deep in thought pipes up. Ty’s the one who makes sure none of the people who go to the picture wall try to hurt us. You get the sense that she’s including more than just herself and her sister in the ‘us.’ He’s not really mean to us, but he’s really mean to the people who go to the picture wall with the funny smoke-sticks. He says the smoke-sticks can control us and that’s why he chases them away. So that none of us have to listen to the smoke-stick people. She then smiles up at you. He didn’t say anything about people with flowers, though, so you must be nice.

The other twin then picks up the line of conversation, but takes it in a different direction. C’mon, mister. I think I remember where the little Pokémon was. She grabs your hand and begins to pull you deeper into the maze of tents, excitedly, certain that she has the right answer. Her twin pouts as she follows you two, but she doesn’t say anything. You try to remember which way the three of you are going, but it quickly becomes a blur; the two little girls are very familiar with the maze and never hesitate at any intersection. It probably doesn’t help that the grip on your hand is chilling.

By the time the girl stops pulling you along and releases your hand, it almost feels like you’ve stuck your hand into a bucket full of ice. However, peeking around a tent corner is a familiar white Pokémon with a green ‘helmet’ sprouting two red horns. The little girl beams proudly up at you. See? Now you’ll play with us, right? She directs pleading eyes in your direction, as her twin goes up to look at your Ralts.

As you prepare to respond, though, you notice something odd about the way Rags is acting: mainly that, though you are standing directly in front of him, he doesn’t seem to see you. He can clearly sense you by the way he searches his surroundings, but his confusion is obvious. Interestingly enough, the little girls don’t seem to find it odd, as one begins giggling at your starter’s expression. The other merely waits expectantly for your answer to her question.

What will you do?

~!~

Allishinca:
At your orders, Pluto tries to Sneak his Shadow behind the Vulpix, but, having just been thrown into a wall, he is, understandably, a little off his mark. Especially when the Vulpix, once again, becomes a Faint shadow and leaps to Attack him again, irritating your starter. He Leers at the fox-like Pokémon as it fades back into visibility and it hesitates for a moment, before sending off a Ray to try to Confuse Pluto. Luckily, it seems the Vulpix wasn’t focused enough to actually hit him with it.

However, when it briefly turns to glance towards where you and Codi are leaning against the wall, Codi begins to have a bad feeling about its next actions. Sure enough, it sends the remaining three Will-o-Wisps spiraling towards you, two of which Codi is not fast enough to dodge. In retaliation, Pluto viciously Jabs it with a Poisoned claw and it backs away, wincing, even as it glares at him. Only a moment later, it stumbles, looking unsteady on its feet, before it tries to shake it off, but the two Pokémon watching can tell that it’s Poisoned. Both battlers are looking a little tired and Codi winces as his Burn makes itself known, but neither Pluto nor the Vulpix look ready to back down. Thankfully, nothing comes of the building’s earlier shudders, but a slight flicker in the light from the hall might pass by unnoticed.

What will you do?

~!~

Thrain:No worries. Just reply when you can. :)
Your curiosity raised and your sense of adventure urging you onward, you and your Growlithe make your way towards the Sideshow Alley under a full moon. The entire way there, the both of you feel the gazes of unseen observers following your path, though nothing comes of it. Yet. A flicker of movement in the corner of your eye has you turning, but all you see is a deserted path.

Fifteen minutes later, the two of you are at the entrance of Sideshow Alley, the tents lining the path throwing dark shadows over the area despite the moon’s light. After taking a moment to gather your courage, you enter, feeling an odd breeze pass you, but you ignore it when it settles. A few steps further brings the two of you to the memorial wall, decorated with pictures of all the children who never made it off the Ghost Train.

It’s then that you realize that you have no idea what you’re supposed to be doing here. A glance at the piece of paper gives you no clues either, so you and Blaze eventually decide to wait to see whether anything come up before moving on to the next place. It only takes a few more moments before something begins to happen. A shape seems to coalesce out of an odd mist under the moonlight and it quickly takes the form of a boy, maybe ten years old, but translucent, who eyes you warily. He looks you over before turning his gaze to your Growlithe and approaching cautiously.

Did you just come from the fortune teller’s? he asks guardedly, glancing around as he pauses just a few feet in front of you. I really hope you did ‘cause we have to get moving. There’s this one ghost here that really doesn’t like living people or anyone who helps them. He looks around again, before motioning for you to follow him. I’m Sam, by the way. I’m supposed to give you a hand with the list. He begins to head toward one specific picture on the other end of the memorial wall, making sure to give Blaze a wide berth as he does so. I’m pretty sure the first thing’s somewhere over here… he mutters, not even checking to see what you were doing.